


Building a Better Chimera II: Shattered Bonds

by Uthizaar



Series: The Awakening [2]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: 69 (Sex Position), AP Bio, Alliances, Alpha Chimera, Alpha Stiles Stilinski, Alpha Theo Raeken, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Beacon Hills Lacrosse Team, Betrayal, Blood Fetish, Blood and Gore, Chimera Stiles Stilinski, Coming Out, Cruelty, Crying, Dark Stiles, Dating, Dirty Talk, Double Agents, Dream Sex, Eichen | Echo House, Episode Related, Flashbacks, Guilt, Jealous Stiles, Kanimas, Kissing, Lacrosse, Licking, Long, Loyalty, M/M, Manipulation, Masturbation, Medical Experimentation, Mild Language, Minor Character Death, Murder, Narcissism, Nemeton, Oblivious Scott, Obsessive Theo Raeken, Oral Sex, Original Mythology, Paranoia, Possessive Stiles Stilinski, Post-Nogitsune Stiles Stilinski, Power Dynamics, Resurrection, Sadism, Scents & Smells, Secrets, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Stiles' Jeep - Freeform, Temporary Character Death, Threats of Violence, Torture, Treachery, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Villain Stiles Stilinski, Violence, Wet Dream, chimera pack, chimera powers, cum, hidden identity, pathological liar, power stealing, season 5, supermoon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-13
Updated: 2017-04-15
Packaged: 2018-08-30 16:11:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 21
Words: 200,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8539726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Uthizaar/pseuds/Uthizaar
Summary: Continuing on from Part One, Theo returns to Beacon Hills with the task of guiding and protecting Stiles as he becomes one of the most powerful chimeras alive...Well that was the Dread Doctor's plan. Theo has a different idea, and Stiles fits nicely into it, not merely as a fellow chimera, but as something more. Of course, Stiles not being aware of his abilities is but one small obstacle... (Following along with the episodes of Season 5, adopting them to fit the story.)





	1. Broken Peace

Lightning arced across the sky as thunder rolled ominously after it. The clouds were dark and heavy with rain, gathering over the town of Beacon Hills, as evening turned to night. It was slightly better at the nearby regional airport where Theo emerged from his flight. He spotted the couple as soon as he left the terminal, standing together, faces creased in worry, jumping every time someone glanced their way. He frowned, irritated at their behaviour, walking over to his “parents”. “Hey, I’m here.”

“Uh, hello, this is-“ The man made to introduce his wife, but Theo dismissed him with an impatient wave of his hand.

“I don’t care. Let’s just go.” He pulled around his suitcase and looked first at it, and then expectantly at the man, “Well?”

“Oh, right, of course, let me get that for you, um, son.” He added awkwardly as Theo chuckled derisively. “We parked in Lot B, just, just over here. It’s not our car, but the, uh, the um, your, your…”

Theo shook his head and gestured in front of him. “Just go. And stop stammering for fuck’s sake, I’m hardly going to gut you here in the parking lot.” The man nodded hurriedly as his wife paled and glanced at the chimera.

“Theo, um, I, I’m sure we can-“

“He explained this to you, didn’t he?” Theo asked bluntly as they walked between the rows of parked cars. “You play the part, you do what I say, you make it look convincing, or else I’ll,” He paused lowering his voice, smile lingering around his lips, “I’ll find everyone you love and rip them to pieces.” He let his claws slide out and waved them in front of her face. “So don’t try and be nice, just do what you’re told and it’ll be over before you know it.”

Theo walked the rest of the way in silence, climbing into the backseat of the white SUV as the man placed his luggage in the trunk. He remained quiet until they got out onto the highway. “Go straight to Beacon Hills, no stopping, no delays, I want the house set up by the time I’m home from school tomorrow.”

“Yes, ok, we can-“ 

Theo ignored the rest of her words as he reached over to pull out the box containing his new phone. It would take little more than an hour to reach Beacon Hills and he had no interest in getting to know these people; there was no value in it. They had their job to do, as did he. This was the most elaborate of the covers he had ever established; usually it was just him and whatever he could create to change his personality or appearance to get the information they needed. This time however…it was as if some milestone had been reached, some perfect confluence of events that prompted the Dread Doctors to deploy what had always been scarce resources in order to complete this mission. Perhaps they truly had reached the culmination of their goals, Theo had seen that the soldier had been taken out of long term storage and installed in the lab. No longer just the source of their immortality, it was almost as though they wanted him displayed, a rare occasion of pride for his otherwise reclusive masters. Theo frowned, ignoring the muttered whispering in front of him, as his thoughts turned to the Dread Doctors themselves. Were they losing faith in him? Had he disappointed them somehow? Why hadn’t he been the first to go into Beacon Hills? That was their normal arrangement whenever they moved to a new town, he had to scout out a place for them to set up: a forgotten barn, or abandoned house, or a gutted warehouse. This time they had it all set up, all ready to go. Of course, it wasn’t as though the equipment was gleaming new, it still had the stains from years of use, but Theo wondered if they had been returning to Beacon Hills for a lot longer than they had said. He was from the town, and he was taken from there, but…the memories were still obscured; every time he tried to recall what exactly had happened, the images vanished. It was like trying to grab fog. 

A bump in the road jolted him from his thoughts, “Watch it!” He barked, annoyed. The man apologized and tightened his grip on the steering wheel. Theo looked up as a sign flashed by; forty miles to Beacon Hills. He looked pensively out the window as a thought occurred to him, _Is this what coming home is meant to feel like?_

 

“Are you even listening to me?” Stiles glared at Scott, as the Alpha adjusted his posture on the hood of Stiles’ jeep. 

“Yeah, yeah, don’t worry about it Stiles, we’ll find somewhere we can all be together.” He glanced down at his best friend and smiled, “Have you thought about Oakland?”

“Yes, and Berkley and Nob Hill and-“

“Stiles, relax!” Scott laughed at him, the tone calm and musical enough that he saw some of the teen’s anxiety leave him. “We have the time; we’ll figure it out.”

“I know, Scott, but, c’mon man, I have a vision here!” Stiles replied seriously. “You and me, and everyone all close together.”

“We’re still not sharing a room, Stiles. I don’t want to be there when you have your sexual awakening!” Scott laughed and then winced as Stiles glared at him and punched him on the leg. “Ow, sorry, haha.”

Stiles didn’t reply, ignoring the way Scott’s words had given him an entirely different vision. One of Scott finally realizing what Stiles _really_ wanted, and being only too eager to join in the “awakening”. Instead, he moistened his lips and directed his thoughts to the map laid out in front of him to avoid Scott picking up on his horniness. 

Scott smirked to himself and looked up as the clouds parted in the swift breeze; the large full moon beaming down on him. He felt a prickle arc across his skin, just enough of a pull to remind him of the change. Stiles took the opportunity of Scott’s distraction to slide his eyes across the Alpha’s face, and down his partly unbuttoned shirt towards his crotch. The teenager flicked his gaze back up as Scott stopped looking at the cratered face of the moon.

“So…it’s been six months of peace.” Scott started, feeling Stiles frown at him.

“Yeah, almost half a year without an attack or major monster incident, naked Betas notwithstanding.” Stiles muttered the last part. “It’s been good, right?” Scott nodded, clearly distracted by something and Stiles didn’t have the heart to tell him about the strange dreams he’d been having recently. Not strange as in six-fingers weird, but these were ones that he could never quite remember but still seemed so important to understand. It wasn’t that he expected Scott to over-react, but being normal teenagers for a few months had been so good for them all, that Stiles didn’t want to shatter that illusion. If that meant waking up each morning with the fleeting sensation that someone had been standing over him, then so be it. It was easier to hide his discomfort this time; the full moon taking more of Scott's attention.

“Yeah, it’s been good,” Scott finally replied, “But what happens when everything returns to normal; you know regression to the mean?”

“Huh?”

“It’s something Deaton explained to me; life is never all good or all bad, eventually it returns to kinda good, kinda bad. And the last few months have been really good, right?”

“So now it’s going to get really bad?” Stiles finished Scott’s sentence for him. “Great.” There was an ominous crackle of lightning, followed by rolling thunder directly overhead which did little to improve the sudden down that came over them, the words repeating in his mind. _Really bad..._

 

Stiles broke the tension, throwing a look over his shoulder before glancing at Scott, “Do you think it’s been long enough?”

"Yes!" A pleading cry came from behind the Jeep. Stiles grinned as Scott slid off the hood and together they walked towards Liam, covered in chains and tied to a tree. Stiles’ mind supplied a single word, _Kinky!_ before he ruthlessly stomped on it and maintained his composure. Liam gave him a weird look, but turned to Scott mournfully. “Come on, let me go!”

“You can control yourself, right?” The Alpha asked him, looking into his Beta’s eyes.

“Yes, Scott, c’mon, please!”

Stiles watched them talk, the words fading away as he zeroed in on the way Scott looked at Liam. There was something in that gaze, something Scott would never show him, a way that an Alpha could never look at a mere human. Whatever horny thoughts were in his mind were pushed aside as a flame of anger mixed with jealousy flickered. The moment passed and Stiles blinked away his emotions, reaching for the bag as Scott pulled the chains away from his Beta. He avoided Liam’s eyes and gestured for them to get in. Scott jumped in the front seat beside Stiles, watching him with a hint of laughter in his smile. The teenager ignored the two werewolves, whispering a silent prayer to the gods of faulty alternators and turned the key in the ignition. A grin spread across his face as the engine rattled noisily and spluttered into life. “Hah!”

 

Theo grumbled angrily under his breath as the traffic slowed to a stop, “Go onto the other lane.”

“I can’t, it’s blocked.” The man answered hesitantly, his wife looking back at Theo.

“There’s probably a tree down up ahead, there’s nothing we can do.”

His face flickered between a grimace and a scowl. “Why are you staring at me?” With a muttered apology, she turned back to exchange a glance with her husband. Theo shook his head dismissively; this was bullshit he didn’t need. But the Doctors were convinced that he needed to be in what they called “full immersion” to successfully guide and protect the Overmind. That was part of the reason he was returning to Beacon Hills from the airport despite having spent the past week in the town, or rather in their lab. He hadn’t actually been in the town itself, only going outside their base at night to get fresh air. The Doctors had given him folders of information on each of the supernaturals that made up Scott McCall’s pack, to better sell his cover. In the meantime, they had been organising the “advance party”, whatever that was supposed to mean. It had been before they left the town on the lake that they explained about the chimeras created in Beacon Hills, the ones that were slowly reaching their potential. At first Theo was consumed with jealousy and anger; _he_ was the Dread Doctors' chimera, their true success! He didn’t even want to think about sharing their attention or his power with anyone else. Although, the more he considered it, it made sense. This Overmind was meant to lead the chimeras created by the Doctors, but they had made it clear that the host would need time to attune to the transformation. So, all these other chimeras, these had to be for him, Theo, right? They were to be his forces to command, his minions to boss around as the Dread Doctors did to him, perhaps they were even meant to be a pack for him to control. As the first chimera, Theo thought, this was only fitting.

His mind returned to the advance party, it frustrated him to know so little, other than titbits gleamed from the Geneticist. She was always the one most willing to talk to him, or at least give him instruction on biology. This chimera was something they had left behind on one of their first visits several months before, entombed in the basement walls of an abandoned house. He knew already that it was necessary to bury chimeras in the ground to let them fully absorb their powers. He almost wished he was there to see it emerge; plasterboard walls cracking like egg shells as the creature pushed its way outwards. There was always a moment where they blinked confusedly, a remnant of their humanity lingering before being lost forever in the glow of supernatural eyes. It was this that Theo relished; seeing their transformation into monsters. The Doctors had explained the advance party’s purpose to him on the last night before he left. The strategy made sense to Theo; the other chimera would cause some havoc, attack the McCall pack, but before it could do any lasting damage, Theo was to intercede and defeat him. He smiled at the image of his heroic intervention; this was a sure way to get close to Stiles, impress Scott and his pack, and maybe reduce any awkward questions about his abrupt return. The wind howled outside, rocking the car as Theo looked down at his claws, black and sharp, running them slowly across his fingers, waiting for the moment to arrive.

 

Stiles gritted his teeth and sighed, “It is not a party.”

“Well, why can’t I go?” Liam immediately asked.

“It’s for Seniors only.”

“But I want to go!”

“Grant me the patience of a thousand saints!” Stiles barked at him.

“Huh?” Liam replied confusingly.

“Just, just stop talking!” Stiles spared a glare for Scott who was too buried in his phone to notice his Beta’s inane questions. Liam actually did what he asked, although Stiles heard his annoyed huff when he settled back into the seat.

“Hey, uh, you guys having trouble with your phones?” Scott called out as Stiles looked at him again. The teenager made to answer but there was a sudden sound that sent his stomach plunging; the thud-thud-thud of the engine stalling. The Jeep swerved sideways as Stiles struggled with the steering.

“Are fucking kidding me?” He swore loudly, turning the air blue as Liam shrunk down in his seat. “This is not fucking happening again! God damnit!” Stiles tried to pull the Jeep off the road as the engine cut completely and the battery died, the headlights flickering out. He hung his head for a moment, before getting out of the car and helping Scott to lift the heavy hood off the engine.

“What’s holding this together, Stiles? Spit, duct tape, and prayer?” Scott laughed as Stiles gave him a deadpan look, affixing the battery lamp to the underside of the hood.

“Yeah, pretty much, Scott.”

“Oh, uh.” Scott rested a hand on his friend’s shoulder. He picked up a roll of duct tape. “Really?”

"Hey, it works in _Fallout_!" Stiles replied as he tore a strip off. Scott's silence made him turn back, "You know what I'm talking about right? The video game?" There was more silence, and a slightly judgmental stare from the Alpha. "Hey, it's been a quiet six months, okay? Unlike you, I only have myself to play with." 

“Oh, dude, too much information!”

Stiles felt his cheeks coloring as Liam sniggered from inside the Jeep. “I didn’t mean it like…let’s just make sure everything’s bound tight.”

They started to apply yet more tape to the engine as Liam sat back in the seat, plugging his earphones in and nodding his head to the music even as his attention wandered. The pull of the moon was difficult to resist, but he dug his claws into the soft flesh of his palm to quench the urge. There was a flash of light behind him and Liam turned to stare out the rear window. “What…” Then another lightning bolt arced down and cracked into the asphalt behind him. “Guys!”

“What?”

“Guys, you gotta-“

“Not now, we’re almost done.” Stiles cut him off, leaning back to examine his work. Another lightning bolt impacted the ground behind him making him yelp in surprise. “Ah!” He looked at Scott, similarly confused, and then back at the Jeep as it roared back to life. “Uh.” 

“Can we go now?” Liam stuck his head out the driver’s window. Scott nodded and helped Stiles pull the hood back down. “Good, that was too weird.”

Stiles scooted him back into the rear seat and buckled up. The Jeep was very quiet for the remainder of the trip until they swung by to pick up Malia. He greeted her with a hug and stepped out of the car to let her sit in the back seat. Stiles caught Scott’s eye but shrugged when the Alpha smirked at him. “So, do you know yet?”

“No.” Her reply was quiet, then she looked at Liam and Scott’s expectant faces, “What? Did you tell them?”

“Uh, it slipped out?” Stiles wilted under her stare as Liam grinned a little too eagerly at her. “Oops?”

“I don’t know yet.” Malia replied firmly, “Let’s just go.”

“Ok, fine.” 

 

Theo looked up as they slowed to a stop for the second time, only a few miles outside Beacon Hills. "What is it now?" 

"Traffic's backed up on both lanes. We're jammed. I can-" 

"Don't." Theo cut him off, waving dismissively, "You're already trying too hard." He ignored them as his "Mom" placed her hand on her husband's arm. "Just wait. This was expected."

He didn't elaborate and they kept their eyes front even though the man glanced at him from time to time in the rear-view mirror. But after the tenth look, Theo snapped and growled at him "Stop it. Or I'll pluck those eyes from your head and make you eat them!" His threat seemed to work as the man stared dead ahead, knuckles white on the steering wheel, flicking the mirror up so he was no longer tempted to look at his captor. Theo let his face soften a little, turning to look out the window instead. He smiled a little when he spotted an Asian girl that looked like it could be Kira Yukimura, Scott’s girlfriend. Theo opened the door, looking at the front seats. “Wait here." He ordered coldly and climbed out. 

The wind was fresh against his face and Theo shivered slightly, glad he had brought his jacket with him. Noticing that the other drivers and passengers had pulled out their phones, he did the same, all the while breathing deeply as the wind blew a cascade of scents towards him. He smiled as he identified an unusual smell and turned his head, letting the expression fade to feigned puzzlement. It was Kira alright, stuck by the storm too. Looking back, he caught her attention and smiled sweetly, seeing her lips twitch in response. He knew how he looked, how it made people react to him; shaven cheeks, nice haircut, casual clothes and a smile that could melt ice. If angelic had a face, it'd be his. Who knew there was a devil hiding underneath? She was still looking at him, so he grinned wider in a friendly manner, calling out, "Not getting anything either." Theo held up his phone and waved it slowly. The screen was blank, only two numbers entered in it, but convincing enough at that distance. She nodded and returned his smile, politeness infused the scent coming from her direction and Theo watched as she got back into the car. The girl was no chimera, instead something much more exotic…Kitsune, just as Dread Doctors had said. He continued to look around, glancing upwards as the lightning flashed overhead and the thunder rolled immediately after it. The skies opened and the downpour commenced. Theo ducked quickly into the car again, shaking his hair dry. An uncomfortable silence weighed heavy among the occupants, but he ignored it, silence was what he was used to.

 

Stiles waited for Scott by the elevators, awkwardly avoiding the stares of orderlies and doctors passing by hurriedly. Finally, Scott emerged and Stiles nodded as the Alpha confirmed that Liam was safer here in the hospital. “Kira still hasn’t checked in; do you think she’s alright?”

“Yeah, sure, why not?” He glanced at Scott, “Have you talked since she went on vacation?”

“Well, uh, I mean I told her to go have fun.” Scott started, but Stiles stopped and blinked at him, hands out-stretched.

“Wait, what? Why would you tell her that? You do not tell your girl to go ‘have fun’ on the other the side of the country. Dude!” 

Scott looked at him strangely, “Um, why not?”

“Because, ok, here.” Stiles turned to Malia and said "If you were going away somewhere and your boyfriend told you 'Don't worry, go have fun!' What do you think he'd mean?"

"Err," Scott started, but Malia answered before he could get out more than a stutter.

"Fun like bowling, or sex with other guys?"

"Mhm, hmm." Stiles turned to give Scott a stare, tilting his head. Scott shrugged, wondering yet again how Stiles seemed to understand women so much better, yet never seemed to have a girlfriend.

Melissa looked up from her work, brow wrinkling, "What are you-" The doors nearby burst open as a paramedic escorted a new patient inside, prompting her to get up, and run to the man’s side. “Head injury, trauma ward three is free.” She looked at Scott and Stiles, “More victims from a jack-knifed tractor trailer on the one-one-five. It’s a busy night.” Melissa moved away from them as Scott and Stiles glanced at each other.

“That’s the only road into Beacon Hills from the airport. Kira must be stuck there.”

“Yeah, but Scott, how are you gonna make it in time?”

“I got this, you and Malia go on to the school. We’ll meet you there.” 

Stiles reached out to stop him, but Scott had already pushed out through the doors. “Ahh, ok then, are you ready?”

 

Theo watched the water run down the window in streamlets, not focusing on anything in particular until he saw the dirt bike come to a stop close to his car, and Kira running from hers. A brow quirked slightly as the two came together and kissed in the rain, recognising Scott once he took his helmet off. “Huh, white knight.” Theo muttered, waiting for them to get back on Scott’s bike and zoom towards Beacon Hills. Nodding to himself, the chimera whispered aloud “Showtime!” and opened the car door. Theo raised his voice and spoke to the two adults in the front, “Go on to the house and set it up as I told you. I'll return later." He didn’t wait for their reply, instead setting off for the town at a steady pace. Theo cut into the forest of the Preserve once he saw the edge of the trees. Here, he didn't have to hold back, instead he ran at full speed, his chimera powers lacking somewhat behind a werewolf, but he didn’t want to change into his full form for tonight’s work.

 

Stiles parked the Jeep, he and Malia walked briskly towards the main entrance, yet they still got soaked. He shivered as cold water dripped down his hair and under the collar of his shirt. Stiles could feel worry beginning to creep into that all too familiar place in the pit of his stomach. He jolted as Malia came right up behind him and sniffed. "Ah!"

"What's wrong with you? You smell terrible!" She looked at him seriously.

Stiles glanced around, frowning, "Can you, you know, not do the sniffing thing in public?" His tone softened when he saw the hurt mix with concern in her eyes. “I’m sorry, it’s just, it’s anxiety, that should be a familiar enough scent around me.”

Her eyes widened slightly, “Oh. But…”

“I just want everyone to be here; Senior Scribe, everyone together, one last time.”

“We’re not going anywhere Stiles, isn’t that the plan? Everyone goes to San Francisco?”

“The Vision.” Stiles corrected tensely, “Yeah but, like Scott is my best friend right now, what happens if we drift apart, just like my Dad and his friends? They haven’t spoken in years, and I…I don’t know how to keep that from happening.”

“Isn’t that just the way of things?” 

Stiles nodded, “I-“

Malia cut him off, her nostrils flaring. “Someone’s coming! At speed.” She whirled around and caught Liam in the chest with the palm of her hand, planting him into the pavement.

“Ow. Scott. Trouble.” He gasped out. 

 

Theo looked over the bridge, hearing the words he was waiting for, the crackle of those electric blue claws lighting up. 

"I came to claim your status!" 

He dropped with ease onto the concrete and growled his challenge to the other chimera, relishing the chance to drown his claws in blood again. The chimera saw the blue eyes burn in time to the pulse of the creature's massive claws, the lips pucker upwards in a grim smile. Theo wasted little time, running down towards them, using the wall to boost his speed and propel himself forward for the first blow, swiping his claws across the chimera's chest and face, kicking backwards to stagger his foe. He bared his teeth as Scott stared at him, Theo ignored the Alpha for a moment, attempting to knee the attacker in the stomach, instead he felt the chimera grab his arm and push it back against the bone. His muscles screamed in pain, but Theo grunted and kicked out with his feet, allowing Scott time to get upright and sidle away. Theo looked into the chimera's eyes, seeing none of the promised deference, only wild animal rage. With a roar the chimera threw Theo away from him, his body crashing through water and onto the rough concrete as he rolled over, ribs aflame, grunting his pain. Theo flipped over in time to see Scott fumble his attack, the other chimera grabbing him by the neck, blue claws going deep inside the Alpha's chest. _This isn't the plan!_ Theo thought, as he struggled to recover, Scott should have been able to defeat him once Theo gave him the space to do it. He still watched with a sort of detached interest as the other chimera began to absorb Scott's powers, what gifts had he been given? 

There was a yell from behind him as the rest of Scott's pack came charging down the concrete stairs. Theo looked up in time to see Stiles slide to a halt, words dying on his lips as Scott gurgled in pain. He sprung up as Kira grabbed her sword and together they faced the monster. They didn't have to attack again however, as Scott found the Alpha’s power inside himself and stood upright, breaking the chimera's arm, and ripping out his claws with surprising ease. The Alpha growled at him. “I don’t know what you expected you’d do here, but I’ll give you a choice. Stay and I’ll break something else, or leave and live.”

Theo felt the chimera's eyes graze his, and gave the tiniest of nods, watching the creature glance at Stiles. He flicked his own gaze to Stiles and his stomach clenched in way that was almost predictable at this stage whenever he thought about the human, but now that they were both here, standing not ten feet away from each other...it was almost impossible not to reach out and grab him. The broken chimera ran away, Scott accepted Kira’s arm and moved over towards Stiles as Theo returned to his human form, eyes fading to his natural shade, teeth retracting, claws vanishing. He turned as if to go, his task complete, but stopped when he felt their collective gaze resting on him.

Theo experienced a thrill of excitement rush across his skin, as he settled into his role of "long lost friend" with ease. He turned fully, grin spreading across his face, pivoting just enough so that it appeared as though he was addressing the group, even if his eyes darted more towards Stiles than Scott. "You don't remember me, do you?" He began, the words falling into place so naturally, he almost believed his own cover story.

Stiles watched the other werewolf cautiously, but he couldn't help but notice that the guy was hot, insanely, stupidly hot; with his ruffled hair, and smooth face, perfect features that made him look a lot younger than he probably was. _This is…totally unfair!_ Stiles thought to himself, _The one time there’s a crazy cute hero werewolf here to save the day, and I’m surrounded by everyone else who can smell my damn hardon…_ He felt his ass clench uncontrollably as the werewolf met his stare, his skin feeling electrified by the eye contact. But there was also a hint of unease that crept across his spine, an instinctual wariness that tried to overrule the other instinct that was threatening to tent in his boxers. Stiles averted his gaze when he realised he had been staring, the werewolf offering a grin that seemed just for him. Stiles suddenly felt under-dressed in his well-worn and slightly unflattering flannel shirt. He swallowed audibly as the werewolf advanced towards them, to him. The guy was even hotter up close, water dripping down his face in so perfect a pattern. There was a sudden tightness in his pants, but the feeling didn't linger there, instead migrating directly to his heart via a deep swooping in his stomach. _Oh no, no, no._ Stiles tried stopped his body from reacting, even as his eyes locked with the werewolf's own. He barely heard the next words, "I guess I look a little different from the fourth grade." 

But Scott's brain was working faster-and obviously had less resources devoted to drinking in perfection-"Theo?" the Alpha blurted out.

Theo nodded, lips moving to smile. 

"You know him?" Malia asked Stiles.

"They used to." Theo answered before the others could. He tilted his head sideways at Stiles, seeing the way the teen looked at him, the hunger in his stare, mutual hunger, his tongue darting out to moisten his lips. He longed to kiss Stiles again, to feel his warmth mouth on him, to…Theo reigned in his imagination, the air was heavy with caution, mistrust, fear even. He would have to tread carefully. "Trust me, I never thought I'd see you guys again." Stiles frowned at him, lips parted as though to speak, but he didn't say anything, so Theo pressed on. "A couple of months ago I heard of an Alpha in Beacon Hills, and when I found out his name was Scott McCall, I just, I couldn't believe it." He smiled at them again, although this time there was an almost genuine feeling of happiness. Was that because this cover story was going so well, or maybe because the object of every jerk off session for the past week and a half was based on the guy standing in front of him who smelled just as delicious as he had tasted? They seemed to expect more, so Theo shrugged, "But, uh, then I heard more rumours that it wasn't just any Alpha, but Scott, you were a True Alpha! Even I know what that means. I'm just an Omega," He added as though it were an after-thought, watching their reaction with as much concentration as Stiles was directing towards him. He saw Scott blink in surprise, turning away, as though embarrassed by the excitement in the chimera’s voice. 

"What do you want?" Scott asked carefully, tone even, but radiating unease.

"I...uh, I moved back here, with my family." He almost smirked as he said the words, but pulled back enough composure to sell it. "I want to be part of your pack." He noticed the way Stiles' eyes finally left him and darted towards Scott. There was silence for a moment and Theo shrugged, as though it was nothing after all, "Uh, I, um, I should get back to my parents, enjoy Senior Scribe."

"You're not coming?" Stiles asked before he could stop himself.

Theo turned back and looked directly at him, only him. "Um, no. I-I should go." Even as he walked into the seemingly unending torrent of rain, Theo could feel Stiles watching him until the others called his name.

 

Stiles shook his head at Scott, “Are you not seeing how suspicious this is? First monster attack in months and then Theo mysteriously returns in time to save you?”

“I didn’t need to be saved!” Scott replied indignantly, “And yeah, it’s a little weird but, he seems like the kid we knew, right?”

 _The kid I knew was not going to grow up to be that hot._ Stiles blinked at the sudden thought, and instead said, “Look, I’m not saying he wasn’t in the right place at the right time, but something about this doesn’t add up.”

Scott’s reply was interrupted by a triumphant yell from Malia. “I got it!” 

Stiles congratulated her and smiled happily, pushing down the thoughts about Theo, the way the werewolf had made him feel. He avoided her eyes though, Malia always seemed to pick up on his emotions faster than anyone else, even without covert sniffing. 

 

Theo paused in his recount of the battle between Scott and the chimera as a sound reached him, the plink, plink of blood on a concrete floor. The Dread Doctors stood up and the Surgeon held out a hand to stop Theo from joining them. “Wait.”

He watched them leave and stood up, creeping towards the edge of the door to look around the corner at the entrance. Theo nodded to himself as the chimera staggered to his knees, broken arm cradled in the other. He could hear the creature’s pitiful wailing, the way he begged for another chance. Theo looked on with a smirk as the Dread Doctors gathered around the failure, hearing the familiar sound of the blade clearing its scabbard. The Surgeon spoke first, “You were supposed to remove the obstacles. Our time is limited."

Theo didn’t hear the chimera’s final words, choked out quietly, but he felt a tingle of excitement shiver down his spine as the Doctors echoed each other in their grim tone. “No second chances." He looked around the corner again as the sound of the blade slicing through flesh and bone reached his ears. But then something unexpected happened as a large black crow emerged from the chimera's chest cavity, followed by another and then another. He straightened up as the leader beckoned him over, unsurprised to find Theo watching the execution. "Prepare the table."

"We extract." The Pathologist pointed towards the empty jars along the walls.

"Learn from this failure." The Geneticist looked at him. Theo was unsure what they meant by that, opting to follow their orders instead. 

Once the body was on the table, the Doctors gathered around it, making their strange chittering as they spoke to each other. Theo looked at the broken remains of the enlarged claw. “What was this for? I saw the blue claws, but why?”

His only reply was the Dread Doctor’s favorite word, “Experiment.”

“So he buried them in Scott, trying to take his power?” Theo spoke aloud, “But, you can't steal a True Alpha's power, right?"

"Theories must be tested." The Pathologist gestured at him. “Enough words. Extract now.”

Theo bowed his head in submission and helped the Doctors in their work, his thoughts drifting frequently to Stiles, and then to how close he had got to the teenager, before shifting back to the chimera lying in front of him, a new plan slowly forming in his mind.


	2. Aura of Attraction

“Come on Dad! I need to talk to you about this!” Stiles followed closely behind his father as the Sheriff handed another stack of folders to Deputy Parrish. “It won’t take long, and I know there’s something off about him.”

Sheriff Stilinski stopped walking and turned to look at Stiles; his son had that frantic, pent up energy that signified little sleep and an over-active mind. He sighed, rubbing his face with his hands, and opened the door to his office. “Fine, Stiles, come into my office.”

“Ok, so, I know that they left Beacon Hills when Theo was around nine or ten, and his older sister got into an accident when he was eight.” Stiles shut the door after him as his father nodded.

“I remember, poor girl broke her ankle and got stuck out in the forest.” He said regretfully, “Why aren’t you in school?”

“Right, so then they moved out of town a year or so later,” Stiles ignored the question, “but I can’t find anything else about them. Can’t you just-“

“Please go to school, Stiles.” His father frowned at him tiredly. 

“Dad, you have to help me here. This guy just appeared out of the blue, at the exact time there was the first supernatural attack in months. You don’t think that’s a coincidence?” Stiles didn’t give the man time to answer, instead pacing around the office. “There is something not right about this guy, and he’s a werewolf!”

“Stiles!” The Sheriff groaned, exasperated. “Your best friend is a werewolf, your childhood crush is a banshee, and last year you rescued a werecoyote from the forest! There are so many-“

“Wait,” Stiles put his hands up, interrupting him. “What did you do? There’s something different about you.” He frowned, moving closer to scrutinise the uniform, then leaning in, sniffing suspiciously.

The man recoiled and stared at his son. "Stiles, what the-" 

"Are you wearing cologne?" Stiles scrunched up his face as his father gave an exasperated sigh and pushed him away.

"Stiles, for the love of god, go to school!"

"I'll go, if you promise to do a full background search on the Raekens!"

"No."

"But-"

"No."

"Dad-"

"No, Stiles. I might be the only cop in town who knows about this stuff, but I've got more important things to be doing than chasing up information on potential were-whatever’s, every time you have a minor suspicion!"

Stiles slouched dejectedly, until a thought crossed his mind: Deputy Parrish. "But you're not the only cop!" He said triumphantly, spinning to look out at the Deputy. 

The Sheriff rolled his eyes and went to open the door. “Parrish!”

 

Theo watched his “father” lock the door behind him, and waited for the man to get into the driver’s seat. The chimera saw the blinds twitch in the front room and smiled to himself. Climbing into the car, he looked at the man. “I take it you explained everything to her?”

“She knows the rules, uh. Um, what do I call you?”

“Heh, Theo is fine. You don’t have to grovel.”

“Oh, ok. So, um.”

“Just drive.” Theo dismissed him with a wave of his hand, irritated frown wrinkling his brow. “Like I said before, you do your part, play your role, and you’ll live. Disappoint me and you won’t.”

The man swallowed nervously, tugging at the collar of his suit. “Yes, Theo.”

“Good. You signed the papers?”

“Yes, they’re in your bag. It’s perfect, just like you said.”

“It had better be.” Theo lapsed into silence and he looked out the window. It had been late when he returned the night before, boxes still unpacked, but his room had been set up as he demanded. It had been strange; sleeping in a real bed, not a buddle of cast-off clothes, having a wardrobe to himself, his own toilet and shower too. They were things he hadn’t ever had before, childhood memories were muddled, confused, but there was a strange familiarity when he sat down on the duvet for the first time. The same way his hand had almost trembled when he touched the slim black box connected to the TV; he had played games before of course, in other kids’ houses, but only ever as part of the task, to lure them in for the Dread Doctors to capture. Having his own was…almost unnerving. 

There was a sudden jolt that shook Theo from his thoughts. He turned angrily to look at the man. “What was that?”

“Speed bumps, I, I didn’t see them.”

“Be more careful.” Theo muttered and glanced to the right of the line of traffic. “Drop me off there, the school is just ahead.” 

 

“So, what did you find?” Malia glanced at Stiles as they walked up the steps to the courtyard. “In the background check?”

“Nothing, they’re normal. Well, Theo’s father, Jonathan, got a speeding ticket a few years ago, so that’s something, I suppose.” Stiles chewed his lip, “I mean, it could be something bigger. Some of the most notorious serial killers in America have been captured because they were speeding.”

“Theo’s father is a serial killer?” She asked with a raised brow.

“What? No, but, I’m saying that the type of people who speed are, you know, criminal, trying to run away from something.”

“Uh, but what about you?”

“What about me?” Stiles looked blankly at her.

“How many tickets do you have?”

“None!”

“Well, how many would you have if your Dad wasn’t the Sheriff?”

“Seventeen.” Stiles replied slowly, but then he shook his head. “It’s not the same! There is something more going on here.”

“It’s a pretty weak argument, Stiles.” Malia shrugged her shoulders and then looked at him from the corners of her eyes as he pivoted away, fidgeting with the hem of his hoodie. "So, what was up with you last night?" 

"Huh?" He turned back to her.

"Last night; first you were all anxious, and then it was almost as though you were excited or nervous."

"Uh..." 

"It was when that werewolf showed up, the other one." Malia paused, “Who was he?” 

"Theo." Stiles felt his stomach clench at the memory of the night before, and his heart skipped a beat just thinking about the werewolf’s face. He pursed his lips when he saw her minute reaction. 

"Yes. Him." Malia cocked her head and looked thoughtfully at Stiles. "So are you..."

"Am I what?" He barked at slightly higher pitch than normal. "I'm not, there's nothing, I don't even trust him, ok? There’s something about him that…"

"I can see why you're worried Stiles, he has the perfect hair, perfect body, those eyes and he's a lot younger looking than you."

"I... What? Why would I be worried about that. It's-" Stiles floundered at her, feeling very warm suddenly. “He’s not that young looking!”

"Because it's obvious that you feel threatened. I can smell the nervousness pouring off you.” She wrinkled her nose slightly, but smiled brightly nonetheless. “He is a total-"

"Yeah, yeah, ok, I get it!" He raised his hands to stop anymore talk about Theo, even as he felt his mind being dragged back to the way the werewolf's gaze seemed to lock onto his, his perfect eyes smiling more than his mouth. It had felt as though they were the only two people there. Stiles had never felt an emotional connection like that before, not from just looking at another guy, it was insane. He coughed awkwardly, “What was your point?”

"Well, I'm just saying; Lydia's single, I'm single." She looked at Stiles, who just frowned, oblivious. 

“So?”

"What are you going to do now?" Malia sighed, glancing down at the ground. “About figuring him out?”

"It's ok, I have a plan. I mean, we need to figure out if he is who he says he is and," Stiles paused as his mind went on talking, _figure out if he's single too because those lips were pure perfection and I just wanna-_

"Stiles?"

"Uh, yeah, no, um, ok.” He avoided her eyes, the unexpected thoughts echoing in his mind as another memory of rain-streaked Theo smiling surfaced. “So, we get his story, verify it, if there's a piece that doesn't fit, we investigate it, and then we catch him in the act!"

“Oh, ok.” Malia nodded, but then frowned, smelling Stiles' change in emotion. He was running between nervous anxiety and teenage horniness-a scent she had come to ignore for the most part in high school. "Are you...?" But his attention had been pulled away entirely.

Stiles looked to his right as a car pulled up by the curb, the passenger door opening to reveal Theo Raeken. He ground his teeth in a futile effort to stop his heartbeat rising, but it didn’t matter, he saw the way Malia had looked first to see what had caught his eye, and then glanced back at him. _Shit._

 

It was immediate, Theo felt Stiles' eyes lock onto his, the world slowing down as they stared at each other across the crowded sidewalk. A second later and the moment was gone as the teenager moved his gaze back to the girl with him. Theo felt his stomach clench with anticipation, his mouth was salivating almost uncontrollably, as memories of their night together washed back over him. How he wanted to recreate it! But this time with Stiles as a fully aware participant, eager to suck his cock, eager to have Theo taste him, to do more than simply get each other off. He wanted to have Stiles, but instead of just adding him to the collection of other men he had fucked, Theo wanted them to be together. It was more than just fulfilling the task he had been given by the Dread Doctors, more than using Stiles as the host for the Overmind, for eventually taking that power for himself. Theo saw value when he looked at Stiles, something he had never found in anyone else. Oh, there were those with limited _worth_ , such as the Doctors or a willing victim, but those were short-term, useful for primal needs. Stiles was something so much more, and Theo wanted the teenager all to himself.

Theo swallowed the excess saliva in his mouth and adjusted his bag, beginning to walk towards them. His smile was genuine; it was all for Stiles, even if the were-coyote was with him. Theo felt a flare of jealousy, of possessiveness, fire in his chest. But he quenched the emotion, instead raising an arm in greeting. There was a hint of Stiles on the air as the light breeze blew down towards him, Theo drunk it in greedily, notes of nerves and anxiety prominent, but underneath there was a delicious tang of arousal. Theo grinned openly, and waved slightly at them.

 

Stiles resisted the urge to roll his eyes; apart from the fact that Theo was even hotter in the daylight, with his perfect hair and perfect smile and what looked like a perfect body under his loose vest that showed plenty of skin, there was something about him that ground his gears. Maybe it was the fact that pretty much every girl on the quad had turned his way and was looking at Theo hungrily. _You’re not jealous now, are you, Stiles?_ He blinked in surprise as the question was asked by his subconscious. He shook his head slightly; that was ridiculous. 

Malia turned to him, even as his attention was still fixed on Theo. "Why are you so suspicious of this guy? He looks so normal, well not normal, more like-"

"Yes, yes, ok, I get it! He's really freaking hot!" Stiles interrupted loudly. He heard a few muted sniggers from the lacrosse team passing by and Malia was frowning at him. Stiles' cheeks burnt, and he hung his head, lowering his voice. "Look, the kid I remember from fourth grade is not this guy. No way." When he looked back up, Theo was gone. "Come on, we better go to class."

 

Theo found his way to AP Bio easily enough, after so many towns and so many schools, they all just seemed to melt into one, as though all poured from the same mold in the ‘50s. He slid into the second last row, noticing Lydia sitting at the front; the Banshee. Theo looked at her from behind, curious how she could be so normal with a gift so abnormal. The girl next to him smiled sweetly at him and he nodded back, “I’m Theo.” She told him her name, but he instantly forgot it as Scott rushed in, sitting next to his girlfriend, who had arrived moments earlier. Theo smirked a little at the fact that none of them acknowledged him, but he didn't care, this just meant he wasn’t standing out from the other Seniors.

"Welcome to AP Biology. Let's see who's awake!" 

His eyes slipped between the teacher and Lydia, her first question making him nod approvingly, mouthing the words, "Circular self-replicating DNA molecules..." Lydia rattled off the textbook answer, but Theo could feel the girl beside him glance at him. The chimera’s lips twitched as the banshee paused on the follow-up question, the answer springing into his mind, _B12. Easy!_ This was so basic to him, the theories, the science all engraved early in his education by the Doctors. He could probably teach this class ... Theo looked up as Scott um'd his way to an answer. 

"Who else here thinks they're in the right class?" 

No hands were raised, but Theo's. He smiled widely at Scott as the werewolf turned to look at him in surprise. Slowly others joined him, but Theo's smile got bigger as Scott frowned at him. He laughed on the inside as the teacher announced that there'd a test tomorrow. Theo glanced around as she began to discuss the specifics, his attention drifting, but he knew Stiles wasn't in this class. 

 

"Hey! You! You have to come with me!" Stiles called out as he spotted Scott, sitting despondent on the steps near the lacrosse field.

"I have a free period." The Alpha muttered.

"So do I. And so does Theo Raeken. Now come on!" Stiles pulled Scott up, or tried to, but the werewolf wouldn’t move, instead Scott just frowned.

“How do you know that?"

"Because he's been standing outside his locker for the past ten minutes. C'mon Scott!"

 

Theo watched Tracy from the corner of his eye, as he pretended to sort through his books. The Geneticist had told him that several of the trial chimeras in Beacon Hills were already active, and he could smell the one across the hall. Her scent was heavy with fear and worry though, a taste that was potent on his tongue, though not unpleasant. He watched her struggle with her padlock, terror overwhelming her scent, his lips parted and stomach clenched in excitement. She froze in place, a waking terror gripping her mind. Theo examined her from a distance, fascinated by the girl’s reactions, or lack thereof, to the Doctors’ experiments. However just as he was about to move closer to see if she would shift into whatever chimera she was, Lydia intervened and pulled Tracy back into the real world. Theo hid behind his locker door, peeking out once they had walked past. A slow smile of triumph spread across his face when he saw the deep gouges in the metal of her locker. 

He was almost tempted to go over and inspect the marks, but then another, more familiar scent reached him. He turned, ready smile on his face. "Stiles." The teenager wasn’t alone, however and Theo glanced to the Alpha, "Scott. What can I do for you guys?"

Stiles ground his teeth, ignoring the voice that echoed in his mind, _Well first you can part those delicious lips and wrap them around my-_

"Stiles?"

Scott nudged him and he looked at Theo, the werewolf's lips were twitching, as though he knew exactly what he was thinking about. The Omega's eyes locked onto his, and Stiles forced himself to look away, rather than be captured by those beautiful orbs again. "Come with me, uh, us. We need to ask you a few questions."

"Locker room is free." Scott offered.

“Yeah,” Theo nodded, "I expected as much. After you."

Stiles walked ahead of him, but let Theo enter the locker room first, ignoring the increase in his pulse as the Omega passed him. The two werewolves faced each other, and he leant back against the row of lockers. Even though Theo gave most of his attention to Scott, Stiles felt his stomach swoop uneasily each time Theo looked at him. He was far enough away from either of them for them to smell his arousal, hopefully. That was the main reason he had let Scott pick the guys' locker room; the Alpha told him often enough that he tried not to breathe too deeply in here.

 

"Who bit you?" The question was stated bluntly by Scott. “What happened to your pack?”

“Uh, well, it’s kinda complicated.” Theo folded his arms as he told them the story. It was so familiar now that a small part of him _actually_ believed that it was how he was changed. But Theo never thought about the truth when he spun his lies, the slightest hesitation at the wrong place would give him away.

"So, we were in this small town outside Bakersfield, I was fifteen, just. And I was killing time, skate boarding in the empty pool beside our house. Got this killer new board for my birthday and I wanted to try it out. The neighbour’s house was foreclosed, so I didn't think I'd be disturbed." He looked from Scott to Stiles, and continued. "So, I was doing some tricks, trying to do a handplant, when I messed it up and fell. Huh, it was pretty sore; skinned my hands and back." He stopped mirroring Stiles' folded arms, and instead dropped his hands into his pockets, thumbs angled outwards. He saw the tiniest of flicks as Stiles' eyes darted to his crotch and then back up again. Scott was watching him closely though, and Theo looked back at the Alpha. "I was not that good as a skate-boarder, but I was pretty determined to ace that move. So, I picked myself up, dusted off and tried again, and again, and again, until my hands were bloody. But I lost track of time and then the yard lights come on and-"

"Did you land the trick?" Stiles interrupted him.

"Uh, no. Like I said, I wasn't very good." He shook his head, grinning.

"Determined, though." Stiles muttered to himself before gesturing to continue.

"So, yeah, it was night time. My parents always worked late, and-"

"What do they do?"

Scott glanced at Stiles with a frown, "Dude?"

"It's fine." Theo shrugged, "My Dad works for Hindlem Gas & Shale, transferred to the Brooktrails office, that’s part of the reason why we came back. I let them think that anyway."

"That's about an hour from here." Stiles nodded, ignoring Theo’s attempt at humour, if that was humour. "What about your Mom? Is she still a secretary?"

"She was never a secretary, Stiles, you know that." Theo smiled at him, "Just a stay-at-home Mom. Satisfied?"

"Yeah, go on."

Theo suppressed a smile and continued his story, "Anyway, I figured one more try and then I'd call it. But, uh, I pretty much sucked and fucked up on the incline. Fell backwards off the board and hit hard, really hard, onto the concrete. Seriously, I thought I had broken my arm, the pain was that bad. Smacked my head too. But as I was sitting there, I looked around for my board, before I realized I hadn’t actually heard it fall. So, I look up, and there's this...thing in front of me. With these really nasty black claws holding onto my board, and there's blood on his hands, and I can feel my body start to shake." Theo paused for a moment to moisten his lips, both of their attention on him, letting enough nervousness enter his voice to convey the trauma of the event. "And then he leans over the side of the pool, and there are these two red eyes just staring down at me. I tried to get up, run away, but he just moved like lightning and grabbed me by the neck, biting me, right here." Theo finished speaking, opening his jacket and lifting his shirt to reveal the now smooth skin just under his rib cage. He dropped his t-shirt again, and glanced at Stiles, seeing the way his eyes moved with his hands. Theo looked between them, a little fear seeping into his scent so that Scott would believe him, looking at Stiles with an open expression, his eyes almost tearing up. It was a trick he had perfected a few months before, and it nearly always worked if he needed to convince someone. "And, uh, that was it."

"Okay, so, why aren't you part of his pack then?" Stiles asked him, arms still folded, tone measured. "Why did he just let you go?"

"By the time of my first full moon, he was dead. Hunters. They took the entire pack out too, but I wasn't with them, they didn’t know about me, and I wasn't sure what was even going on.” Theo grabbed his upper arm with one hand, bunching his muscle. “And then there were cops everywhere asking questions, thinking it was some gang feud gone bad; four guys and a girl cut in half and strung up? I recognised the Alpha from the mugshots they were carrying around. I'd never forget that face." Theo shuddered. Stiles nodded slowly, digesting the information. He glanced at the Alpha, "Look, Scott, you can hear my heartbeat, right? You know I'm telling you the truth."

Stiles felt compelled to move forward, "Or, maybe it's the fact that you know how to steady your heartbeat while standing there lying your ass off?" _Your perfectly smooth and tight ass? I mean, that's what I was thinking about in the shower..._ Theo looked away from him, focusing instead on Scott. Stiles fumed silently, but couldn't help using the opportunity of being this close to Theo to examine him, and commit as much of his perfection to memory as possible. Scott was giving him a strange, confused look, and Theo smirked at him. Stiles felt his hard cock move in his boxers and pulled back from the both of them. He knew Theo must be able to smell it, but the Omega didn’t say anything, just ran his gaze over Stiles’ crotch.

"Scott? Why would I lie?"

"Because, you're not who you say you are?" Stiles tilted his head at him.

"Uh, ok?" Theo looked taken aback, lips parted enough for Stiles to see his perfect, white teeth. 

_Are you not gonna answer me?_ Stiles glared at him, the unspoken question ignored as Theo looked back at Scott. There was an unsettling sensation drifting into his stomach that had nothing to do with how hot the Omega was. Part of him began to doubt that Theo was telling them any lies, and his story about the inhaler incident was true, Stiles remembered that day. Theo was a different kid back then, but so was Scott without his werewolf powers. Stiles stopped looking at Theo, as Scott nodded. _Appeal to his heroic side, that'll do it!_ Stiles grumbled internally. The werewolf looked at him again as he finished talking, Stiles scowled in return, brows furrowed, Scott all but forgotten. _You are so...damn hot, it's not even fair!_ Stiles watched as Scott grabbed his bag, the bell ringing loudly outside. 

Theo seemed to be expecting something, but the Alpha shrugged, "Uh, you should probably get to class, you don't want to be late." He glanced at Stiles, who hadn’t moved and added, "Um, ok, see you later."

 

Scott left quickly, but Stiles waited a moment before going after him, adjusting the strap on his bag. Theo had turned away, as though he was looking for something, pivoting when Stiles made to pass him, his hand reaching out to pull the teenager closer. "I really am telling the truth Stiles."

Stiles felt a shiver go across his skin as Theo's breath felt warm on his cheek. There was a momentary, brief, confused image, and then it was gone, like a buried memory rising to the surface, before sinking to the bottom again. He was close to Theo, too close; enough to smell the faint mint on his breath, see the smoothness of his freshly shaven cheeks, the color of his eyes up close, the carefully coiffed hair. "I should, uh, I'll see you around." He stepped back, swallowing hard. Theo let him go almost reluctantly, his fingers running across Stiles’ palm, tingling.

Theo watched him go, before turning and pressing his head against the cool metal behind him, eyes closed. To be so close to Stiles, to feel his hardon brush against his leg unaware, to breathe in that pure unspoilt scent of total Stiles, it was the closest feeling to peace he had ever experienced. The chimera was in both heaven and hell, consumed by desire, but unable to take advantage of it. Theo groaned against the shelf; it was unbearable not being able to just take what he wanted, but the Doctors had been very clear about not interfering with Stiles until the Overmind was awakened. He was to ensure the teenager was kept alive long enough for him to become a true chimera. 

 

Stiles sat down heavily in his chair, the teacher’s words washing over him as he tried to recall the image, the memory; it was dark, foggy, a room with struts across the roof, bright lights suddenly and then a face, so familiar, but so fuzzy, and it was gone. But besides the image, was the sensation, a sense of dread mixed with...lust? It was tied to Theo Raeken, that was for sure. No matter what Scott had said about giving him a chance, there was something else going on, there was something about Theo that he just couldn't shake. He raised his hand.

“Yes, Stiles?”

“Can I use the restroom?”

“We just started, can’t you-“

“Please! I need to go!” There was a round of laughter and the teacher relented, waving him out the door. Stiles ignored the questioning look from Malia and grabbed his bag while the teacher wasn’t looking. He darted out of the classroom, but instead of heading to the restroom, Stiles stopped outside the Administration Office. He thought about the speeding ticket Theo’s dad had got as an idea sprang into his mind, “Transfer papers! Of course!”

 

“Aha!” They jumped as Stiles slammed the two forms in front of them. 

Scott glanced at Malia and Kira. “Uh, Stiles, are you ok?”

“So, I knew there was something off about him, and I was so right!” Stiles spoke quickly, as though they were continuing a conversation. Seeing their confused faces, he sighed exasperatedly. “Look! See the two signatures, see!”

“Um, no?”

“They’re different!”

Malia squinted at the two forms, “They’re a little different.”

“They’re totally different!” Stiles gestured wildly at them, his voice rising. “See here, the ‘j’ is angled differently, and here! Clear evidence of the criminal tremor! Yup.”

Scott looked at him, lips moving but not saying anything. Eventually, he spoke, “Stiles, where did you get these forms? Did you break into the Administrative Office?”

“Parish sent over the speeding fine.”

“And the other one?”

“Does it matter, Scott? Do you not see what I see?” They stared at him until Stiles huffed, “Fine, ok, I broke into the damn Administrative Office. But forget that, look at the evidence!”

“That, what, Theo’s dad is the one hiding things?”

“If his parents are hiding something, then he-“

“Then he what, Stiles?” Scott asked him.

“Gah! Never mind!” Stiles shouted at them, frustrated by their lack of understanding. He grabbed the forms and strode out of the room.

“Stiles!”

“I don’t need your help!”

 

Stiles sat in his Jeep, glaring at the dashboard, until movement caught his eye. “Hey! Hey, Liam! Come over here!” He called out to Scott’s Beta. The teenager jogged over to lean against the passenger door.

“Hey Stiles, what is it?”

“Get in, I need your help.”

“But I was supposed to…” He trailed off, wilting under Stiles’ half crazed stare. “Ok.”

“Good, now look at these forms!” Stiles thrust the papers at the werewolf as he sat into the Jeep. “Do you see? The difference? Clear evidence of the criminal tremor, if ever I saw it!” He announced triumphantly as the engine spluttered into life on the first turn of the key.

"What's the criminal tremor?" Liam asked, glancing at him.

"Doesn't matter!" Stiles barked at him, reaching over to grab the forms from the teenager's surprised hands. He savagely pulled the gear stick into reverse and they backed out of the lot. Looking at the transfer papers, Stiles noted the address of the Raeken house and started driving towards the other side of town. His anger began to cool, but he was determined to prove the others right; Theo was hiding something, and he would find out what. It was fortunate to have the Beta with him, despite Liam’s patchy control over the shift, he had the powers that Stiles needed to track Theo. Of course, the fact that he had the other benefits of being a werewolf, namely the perfect body, would mean the stakeout wouldn’t be a complete chore. 

 

Theo splashed water on his face and looked up as there was a knock on his door. “What?”

“I got what you wanted, I put them in the trunk.”

“Good.” He waited for the door to close and shifted his gaze back to the mirror, looking into his own eyes. “Ok, let’s do this.” Theo shut the door and reached over to turn off the PlayStation. “Make sure there’s a fire on when I get back, it’s damp in here.” He ordered the woman as he passed her on the stairs. “I’m going out.”

The drive to the Preserve was uneventful, the traffic light, and though he didn’t like the motion of the car, Theo was satisfied that the lessons from a previous high school had stayed with him. The road into the walking trails was strangely familiar to him, and he switched off the lights, letting his eyes adjust to the darkness naturally. There had been a Jeep following him for a few miles, but it had turned off near the ranger shack. Theo dismissed it from his mind, instead concentrating on what he was going to try. Even though he had managed to master the ability to cry on the spot, it only worked on humans, any supernatural or animal would be able to smell that he wasn’t actually sad. There was something he wanted to do, to tap into a part of him that allowed the expression of if not guilt or remorse, then sorrow. Theo figured that going to the place where she died would help bring those emotions to the surface, or at least give him some privacy to practice them. 

The forest was alive with sounds and smells that Theo didn’t normally hear; the Dread Doctors did not often venture into the wilderness and so he rarely left cities or towns. But there was something primal, almost instinctual about being among the trees, something that made him want to shift, to run wild and free on all four legs. 

 

Stiles watched as Theo took a bundle from the trunk and set off on foot seemingly unaware that he was being watched. "I told you he was up to something." He whispered excitedly to Liam. 

"We spent three hours watching this dude play video games in his bedroom. Apart from the fact he really likes _Call of Duty_ , this has been a waste of time.” Liam muttered to Stiles, “He had better a mass murderer!"

Stiles pushed Liam forward after a few minutes and nodded at the ground, “Well? Do you have his scent?”

“Yeah, he went this way.” 

Stiles followed the Beta as they walked through the deep rich loam of the woodland, the falling leaves gathering in deep troughs across the forest floor. Liam hesitated after they had been moving for a little more than ten minutes. “What? Have you lost him?”

“No, uh, I just realised.”

“Realised what?” Stiles asked impatiently. “C’mon, Liam, what is it?”

“I was supposed to meet Mason at the gym.” He pulled out his phone, indecision on his face.

“Well, tell him something, and let’s go!”

“Tell him what?”

“I don’t know, something?”

“Um.”

“Wait,” Stiles approached him, frowning, “Have you not told him?”

“How can I? It’s not something you can just say!” He shrugged helplessly.

“He was attacked by a Berserker that my Dad blew up with a landmine.” Stiles gestured at him, “I think you can tell him.”

“Um.”

“Just make up your mind and come on, I need to find Theo.”

“His footprints lead that way.” Liam pointed, as he looked down at his phone, walking slowly. “Ah!”

Stiles frowned at the exclamation and turned around, seeing the Beta nowhere to be found. “Liam?” He walked back towards the sound and found Liam standing in a damp hole. “What are you doing down there? C’mon!”

“Stiles, wait. Oh.” Liam sagged as the older teenager left without him. “Fine.” He picked up his mud-covered phone and leapt out of the pit with ease. He ran until he spotted Stiles crouching behind a fallen branch. As he was about to speak, Liam felt himself being dragged down and one of Stiles’ hands clamped on his lips. 

“Shush.” He whispered, pointing towards the figure standing on a bridge across a small, but fast flowing river. 

 

Theo stood at the wooden railings, motionless. He could sense them behind him, not close enough to hear him, but enough to smell him as he could smell Stiles and Scott’s Beta. Ignoring their ill-concealed presence, he focused on the task at hand. Theo began by closing his eyes, breathing slowly, unpacking one by one whatever shards of memories he had of that time; the incident itself was a broken memory of mud, and cold, and fear. But it hadn’t been his fear. The days after were shrouded in black; from the suits, the armbands, the people at the funeral, telling him it was alright to cry. But Theo couldn't ever remember doing so, and even now, when he let his eyes fill with water and tears drip down his face, he did it without any deep emotion, there was only a surface sadness, inside he was cold, empty. There was no value in her life, or her death; was he supposed to be sad just because they were brother and sister? He frowned, letting his thoughts drift towards the one person who did have value. If something happened to Stiles…If someone hurt him, would Theo feel anything for the human? He swallowed as an unexpected sensation spread across his chest. Was that fear? Is this what anguish was meant to feel like?

 

"Well? What do you smell?" Stiles whispered, glancing between Theo and Liam. 

The Beta hesitated, nose twitching, before muttering, "Soap. It's nice, he smells good!"

 _I bet he smells good!_ Stiles quashed the thought and repeated aloud, "Nice? Soap? His emotional state is what I meant! Can you-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I remember." Liam sniffed the air, and then shrugged, "He's sad."

"Sad?" Stiles felt a shiver go down his spine. 

"Well, it's not just sad, it's more like...grief?"

"Grief?" Stiles echoed back. He looked up in time to see Theo lift out white lily flowers from the package he had brought and let them fall into the water. "Oh my god!" He squawked, "We need to go. Now. Go, go!" He hurriedly pushed Liam away and together they moved back into the trees. 

“What? I don’t understand!”

“It’s his sister, that was where it happened, and he was…oh no, no, no.” Stiles shook his head, his heart racing as he directed Liam towards the Jeep. “He’s leaving flowers for his dead sister and we were…” Stiles trailed off as he noticed the Beta was staring upwards at a tree. Feeling unease throughout his body, Stiles turned and looked up at the imposing figure standing on a branch.

 

Theo smirked as Stiles and Liam looked up at him, unsure of his intentions. He leapt from the tree with ease, crouching down and then getting up slowly, fixing Stiles with almost all his attention, Liam getting a curious glance, before Theo returned his gaze to Stiles. "What are you guys doing?" Theo asked with a grin. Liam moved forward to intercept him, but the chimera stopped walking and rose his hands, placating. "Woah, I don't want a fight.” Stiles held out a hand to keep Liam back, seeing Theo’s eyes flick back to the Beta. “Why do I get the impression that this kid is tougher than he looks?" 

"Only when we let him off his leash." Stiles answered, his hand resting on Liam's arm. For some reason that only caused Theo's grin to get bigger. 

"I bet." He dismissed Liam as a threat, returning his attention to the one he was most interested in. “Come on, Stiles, we were in Little League together, I don't get why you're so suspicious of me?" 

He paused, staring at Theo’s honest expression, and reached into his pockets, pulling out the forms. “Because of these. Take a look.”

The chimera reached out and accepted the papers, glancing down to read them. Theo’s brows knitted together as though confused, but he noticed the errors immediately. Keeping his face smooth, he could feel the beast within snarling its fury. “Huh? I don’t get it.” He glanced up at Stiles. “What is it?”

“They’re different: two different signatures.”

“Yeah, they do look a little different, I guess.” He admitted.

"No, they're totally different! Signed by two different people!"

"So, my Dad's not my Dad?" He laughed a little, but Stiles didn't. "What? He's an imposter?"

"Something like that." Liam moved forward, but Stiles pushed him back, looking at Theo in time to see a scowl pass across his features, although he wasn't sure why.

Theo drew a deep breath, calming his anger, feeling the same bubbling rage from Scott's Beta; the heady scent of Stiles being so close to him was making his composure slip. He shook his head, trying to make light of it. "Look, Stiles, you know me. What can I do to convince you? You want a DNA sample from me?"

"No," Stiles huffed, gesturing emptily, "I don't have anything from the fourth grade to match it to."

Theo's face fell a little. He never normally had this much trouble establishing his cover, but Stiles picked at every little thread. The guy was determined, relentless; Theo could see why the Dread Doctors thought he would make a powerful chimera. But this was proving to be a difficult sell, it probably didn’t help that he had already tasted Stiles, knew how delicious he was, how he wanted more, needed more. Or the fact that this cover mixed more of the truth with the lies than any before. "You know, Stiles, I came back here for Scott," He paused, dropping his gaze to the ground, moistening his lips, before looking up at him, truth on his lips. "But I also came back for you."

Stiles frowned at him, their eyes connecting, Liam forgotten beside him, his lips parting in surprise. For the first time, Stiles could see nothing but honesty in Theo's gaze, and his own desire reflected back, it was mutual, obvious. His pulse rate jumped as adrenaline pumped through his blood. Theo moved half a step forward, and Stiles almost...but then Liam shuffled his feet in the loose leaves and the spell was broken. Theo pulled back and Stiles blinked. A sidelong glance at the Beta told him Liam wasn't buying Theo’s words. But there had been something in his voice, his eyes; emotion strong enough to kick him in the chest.

“Look, Stiles, I know I’ve just appeared from seemingly nowhere, but what I said today was the truth. I just want to be back with my childhood friends; we’re all part of this supernatural world, even you, especially you. They wouldn’t be the pack they are if you weren’t there to keep them all together. Hell, the fact that you went to these extremes to vet me, tells me everything about your character. Give me a chance, I’ll prove it to you, to all of you. I know I'm in the right place. I’m meant to be here," He finished up, adding silently, _by your side, Stiles, forever._

 

Scott was waiting for them by Stiles’ Jeep as they walked slowly out of the Preserve. The Beta nudged him and Stiles looked up. “Hmm? Oh, hey Scott.”

“Well? Did you find anything?”

“Not so much.” Stiles brushed off the question and opened the door to the Jeep, “I just want to go home.”

“What happened?” Scott moved over to him, concern edging his voice. “Stiles?”

“I fell in a hole!” Liam offered in an attempt to break the tension. Scott smiled at him, and the Beta blushed awkwardly. The Alpha rested his arms on Stiles’ open window.

“Did you see Theo?”

“Saw him, met him, talked to him.” Stiles turned the key to the sound of grinding gears. “Oh, come on!” He climbed back out, popping the hood as Scott helped push it back. “Liam, get in the car and try the ignition when I tell you.”

“What happened Stiles?” Scott asked quietly as his friend reached inside to push the tube back into place.

“It was awkward, he was spreading flowers at his sister’s grave and we were crashing it.” Stiles sighed, Scott’s reasonable tone irritating him more than the Jeep’s engine. “Nothing happened, he just…Try it now Liam!”

“Is he a threat?”

“I don’t know, I don’t-“ Stiles broke off, refusing to look at Scott. He had come so close to kissing Theo, of losing himself in the moment, giving in to his emotions instead of keeping a level head to analyse the evidence. “There’s something about him that isn’t right Scott. I’m going to keep looking into it.”

“Why can’t you just give him the benefit of the doubt, trust him?”

Stiles closed his eyes, seeing Theo’s face smiling at him. _I wish I could._ Aloud he said, “No.”

Scott frowned, confused by Stiles’ reaction. He was about to press the issue when the Jeep roared into life. The Alpha beckoned Liam to join him on the motorbike. “I’ll drop you home, Liam.”

“Uh, can you bring to the school, instead? I said I’d meet Mason.”

“Sure. Later, Stiles.”

Stiles watched them drive away, his thoughts still confused. He paused before getting into his Jeep, the feeling of being watched creeping across his skin. There was no point looking into the forest however, the lights of the Jeep ruined his night-eyes. “Whatever,” He huffed and got in, driving down the bumpy trail, mind replaying that moment with Theo in the forest repeatedly.

 

Theo shrunk back into the trees, his yellow eyes glinting in the light from Stiles’ Jeep as he sat on his haunches. In his true form, the chimera could smell everything so much clearer; the leaking oil from the engine, the tension in Liam as he sat behind Scott on the bike, even the particular brand of deodorant that combined with Stiles to make his scent so appealing. He stood up, slipping into an easy pace as he followed Liam towards the high school, eager to see if he could poke the Beta into revealing his true strength. There were short cuts he could take as an animal that he couldn’t as a human and Theo arrived behind the Beta, slowing to a walk. His head tilted to one side as Mason cried out in alarm, Theo growled menacingly at them, giving chase as they ran away. He slowed as Liam stopped in the center of the hallway, a loud roar erupting from the Beta. Theo considered him carefully, his mouth snapping shut, and after a moment of looking at his yellow eyes, turned around and ran back towards the Preserve.

There was a brief instant of pain as his limbs re-shaped and suddenly he was kneeling on all fours on the wooden bridge, naked, panting from the exertion of the run. Theo stood up, glancing around to ensure he hadn’t been spotted. Pulling his clothes on, the chimera felt a sort of elation he hadn’t felt before. Perhaps it was a combination of running in his true form and Stiles showing that he _was_ interested. Theo had seen the way the teenager had leaned forward during their “moment,” if that Beta hadn’t been there, he’d probably have the taste of Stiles on his lips again. He walked back to the car, his good mood fading slightly as he remembered that they had failed him, almost got his cover blown. For that, there would need to be a reprimand. Theo smiled at that; he had the entire drive to devise a suitable punishment.

 

Stiles finished writing Theo’s name with a flourish, looking at the limited evidence on the board. Despite everything the Omega had said, their close contact in the locker room earlier, the way his eyes had said more than words, there was something about him that just didn’t sit right with Stiles. They had a bond that was just too powerful for two people reconnected for less than thirty-six hours. And even then, Stiles recalled that Scott had been closer to Theo than he ever had been. Plus, there were the memories that surfaced whenever Theo came close to him, impossible to see clearly. What did they mean? And how was Theo connected? Stiles shook his head as another question came to mind. Did it really make sense for this super-hot werewolf to have heard of him, Stiles Stilinski, and return specifically for him? Scott, he could understand- true Alphas were rare, but he was just…

“Usually we wait for them to do something wrong.”

Stiles glanced up to see his father in the doorway. “I know, but there’s something here. I feel it.”

“Proof always trumps instinct, Stiles.” He leant on the doorjamb, “Look, if this guy really is hiding something, you just have to wait, he’ll make a mistake. They always do.”

“Right.” Stiles said absently as he moved closer to his father, brow furrowed. “I realised what’s different about you.”

“What?”

“You’re not wearing your wedding ring.”

The Sheriff glanced at his left hand and sighed, nodding. “Get some sleep, Stiles.” 

 

Theo stood behind them, looking at the fire, enjoying the heat on his face. "You were told to practice, I gave you time. It was supposed to be indistinguishable from the original. It was supposed to be perfect."

"I swear, I, I practiced! Hundreds upon hundreds of times!" The man protested.

His wife turned to stare at him, her voice cold. "I wouldn't say hundreds."

Theo came around the table to face them, hands behind his back. "There is a way we can fix this. It's not easy to write when you're wearing a cast." The man recoiled in horror as Theo showed them the hammer in his hands. "Is it?"

“Uh, no! Please!”

Theo stared at him, lips turned upwards in cruel humour, his pulse quickening in anticipation. With another look from his wife, the man stretched out his hand onto the table. "Very good, if I do this right it'll be a clean break. But you have caused me some trouble, interfered with our business, I’m not so sure that I’ll hit it just right." Theo grinned fully, his tone light and amused. "How about we get started, and I'll see how clean a break I can make it? Keep your arm out-stretched now, we wouldn't want anything to happen to your wife's delicate little hands now, would we?" Theo chuckled darkly under his breath as she stretched out her hands to steady her husband's arm. He raised the hammer and watched the man brace himself for the blow. Theo waited until he relaxed for a moment and then struck, the metal head cracking the bone loudly as the man screamed in pain. Theo laughed, the almost boyish sound at odds with the cruelty he just inflicted. He raised the hammer again.

“Wait, it’s already broken. Please!” 

“That was for the first form. Just be thankful I don’t do both hands,” He smiled again, before bringing the weapon down with more force than before, the hammer rebounding as it splintered the bone again, ripping the flesh open. Blood dripped from both the hammer and Theo’s face, the cast-off felt warm against his lips. He let his tongue dart out and taste the rich, coppery blood. They looked at him in horror, the woman digging her fingers into her husband’s arm. “Ok, I think that’s enough. Hmm.” Theo said, ignoring them as he studied the hammer, running his fingers over the flat edge, through the blood. “Go to Brooktrails, I don’t want any more mistakes.” He moved around them, gaze still fixed on the bloodied hammer, walking up the stairs until he was in the bathroom, looking at himself in the mirror. There was a spurt of blood across his cheek and lips. Theo wiped it off with the back of his hand, enjoying the contrast between the brilliant red of the gore and his own skin. There was a pleasant squirm inside as he looked back up at his face, something about blood spilled like this always tapped into a primitive, dark, dangerous place in him. It wasn’t the taste that interested him, or even the method of becoming blood splattered- either through harming himself or someone else, it was the image that mattered. Theo let his eyes glow yellow and reached into his sweat pants to grip his hard cock with his unbloodied hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love this episode, that moment when Theo delivers the line that spawned a thousand fanfics! Also, it has better opportunities to push Stiles and Theo together. I changed Theo’s pack story because that always bugged me in the episode; why didn’t someone just call Ethan and ask? 
> 
> I realize that this series has become a monster in terms of word count, but I’m enjoying writing it, and we’ll see if the format changes slightly to reduce the weightiness of it. But the characters are pretty much locked in; Stiles is Stiles, Theo is a super-sexy, but also horrifyingly cruel chimera… 
> 
> Thanks for reading, and I’ll upload again next week.


	3. Contact

Stiles watched his father’s fingers struggle with the new tie, reaching out to brush specks of lint from the Sheriff’s jacket. The man groaned as his hands managed to twist the tie into an impossible knot. “Gah! I don’t even know why I’m doing this!” He exclaimed, exasperated. Stiles didn’t reply, just pushed his father’s fingers away and straightened the tie.

“There. Pretty good right?”

“I should have gotten a haircut.”

“Well, you know, someone your age should be happy you still have hair to cut!” Stiles smirked, standing back, nodding. “Ok, not too shabby.”

Scott moved behind Stiles, smiling, “I think you look great.”

"Well, thank you son-I-should've-had!"

Stiles frowned, glancing between them. “Hey!” He muttered, his gaze sticking on his best friend. _You look pretty great yourself, Scott, the things I would do…_

“Stiles?”

“Huh?” He blinked, dragging his eyes away from Scott, “What? Yeah, you look good. No, no, leave the tie, it suits you.” 

The Sheriff paused as he made to loosen the knot. “You know, maybe this wasn’t such a good idea, what if-”

“Dad, it’s ok to have some time to yourself. The town of Beacon Hills won’t fall into a den of depraved madness if you go on one date with a woman.” He glanced at Scott and then looked back at the Sheriff, smirk pulling at his lips. “Or man?”

He laughed and stared at his son. “It’s a woman, Stiles. A very beautiful woman.”

"Ok, I'm just saying that would be cool too, right?" He looked over at Scott again.

"Err, yeah." The Alpha nodded slowly.

The Sheriff looked between them, frowning, "Stiles-"

"You know, you're going to be late if you don't go soon." Stiles interrupted his father and went to pull open the door. He paused and looked back, "Wait, who is it?"

"Ah ha, none of your business boys."

“Aw, c’mon!”

“No.” He turned to pick up his wallet from the desk. 

Stiles felt Scott looking at him, and turned towards his friend. “I want to know!” The Alpha smiled at him and Stiles felt his pulse jump a little higher, his eyes darting down to steal a glance at the v where Scott’s bare chest was revealed. His cock started to rise as his mind said everything his mouth couldn’t. _…to touch and taste, and feel those hard muscles, and smell you in the way you smell me! I’ll cum all over your hard abs the way I imagined it last night!_ He saw Scott’s brows frown slightly and Stiles looked back at the Sheriff. “Are you ready, yet?”

“Yes, Stiles.” He slipped his wallet into one pocket, glancing at the two teenagers. “And no, I’m not telling either of you.”

“Fine.” Stiles huffed and reached over to fixed his father’s crooked tie again. “Ok, let’s-” He broke off as a rage-filled shout echoed through the station.

“STILINSKI!”

“What the…”

Stiles followed the Sheriff outside, Scott trailing close behind. He saw Parrish and another Deputy restraining a young man, his face twisted in anger. “STILINSKI!” He shouted again, struggling to get free. “I’m gonna kill you, Stilinski!”

“Donovan,” The Sheriff started, as Stiles looked between them, unease dripping into his stomach. “If you think that shocks me, remember it was well documented in your anger expression inventory. Deputies, please escort the prisoner out.” He gestured for Parrish and the other officer to continue. Stiles folded his arms, but Donovan wasn’t finished yet. 

“You can’t get rid of me that easily, Stilinski!” He grinned widely as he pushed against Parrish’s strong grip. “I’m gonna kill you Stilinski, but I’m not gonna use a gun, that’d be too quick. Instead, I’m gonna get a nice big knife, and then I’m going to come here, or maybe to your house, and I’m going to stab you, slit your throat, but just enough so that when you’re sitting there, bleeding to death, you can ask me why, and I can tell you to remember this moment.” 

There was utter silence after Donovan finished speaking, nothing but his ugly smirk filling the room. Stiles could feel Scott moving closer to him, their arms brushing, whether intentional or not it sent a spark across his skin. The Alpha was frowning at Donovan, disturbed by his words. He could hear the man’s lawyer groaning to himself, before he nodded, responding deadpan. “Wow, that was awesome!” The Sheriff half turned to look at Stiles, but the teenager continued, nodding enthusiastically, “Ok, that was great, but maybe a little more emotion next time! Try someone else, maybe, uh, oh, do Christopher Walken this time! Oh maybe-“

“Stiles.” 

“No, no, I know, try, uh. You know what?” He asked, smirking back at Donovan who just stared angrily at him, “You’ll have plenty of time to think about it when you’re stuck in your tiny little cube, cos you know, you’re never getting out of jail!” Stiles finished with a laugh, gesturing box shapes at him. Donovan looked down, going limp in Parrish’s grip, before launching forward explosively, growling unintelligibly. Stiles felt himself shoved backwards as Scott moved between him and Donovan, the Alpha’s warm hand pressing against his chest. Parrish yanked Donovan back and twisted his arm, trying to force him to comply.

“Get him outta here!” The Sheriff barked at the Deputies, watching as they pushed the prisoner out the door. “God damn it.”

“What’s an anger expression inventory?” Scott asked Stiles as he took his hand away.

“It’s a test you do during your application for becoming a deputy.” Stiles replied, looking at the spot where Donovan had just been standing. Despite the humour he had just used to defuse the tension, he felt unease crawl across his skin. 

“Wait, that guy wanted to be a cop?”

“Yeah, imagine him with a gun.” Stiles muttered, pulling his eyes away, glancing at his watch. “Dad? You really are going to be late if you don't leave.”

 

Theo stood with the three Dread Doctors on the concrete wall above a narrow street; the police van was speeding towards them, but the Surgeon didn’t give him any instructions to hide. He glanced at them, but there was no emotion from their masks. “This was expected?”

“Yes.”

“Observe.” The Pathologist stretched out a hand, finger pointing to a shadowy figure running alongside the van. 

Theo strained to identify it, but could only see that it had long black hair, and was about as fast as a werewolf. The van veered across the street, sparks flying from where it scraped along the side walls. The figure crouched and leapt upwards, Theo blinked in surprise at the distance covered as it landed on the roof of the van. He sniffed the air, finally picking up her scent, and it was a female, not a werewolf or were-coyote, or other more normal creatures. “Who-“

“Ah!” The Surgeon’s bark cut across him, and Theo looked to one side apologetically.

“What is it?” He glanced up, but the Doctor shook his head slowly, “I’ll figure it out.”

“Good. Observe. Study. Discover.” The Pathologist spoke in a slow, clipped tone.

Theo chewed on his bottom lip as the sounds of slaughter rang beneath them; the Doctors seemed pleased that their creation was functioning well. But Theo knew he was out here for more than just learning about their work “in the field,” as their books described it. The targeting of the police van, was that their idea or the chimera’s? Was this an effort to draw the police out? Or did they have some other plot in mind?

He leant out over the edge of the wall, watching as the chimera moved around to the driver’s door. “Tracy.” Theo muttered the name in response to the man’s surprised exclamation. He grinned as she unleashed her claws, punching through the glass to slash at his chest. Theo moistened his lips as he imagined the glorious feeling of the spray of warm blood hitting his face, running down his lips and neck, staining his hands red. “Perfection.” The door at the back of the van sprung open and a young man fell out, his hands locked in handcuffs. Theo watched him struggle upright and run away. 

“Give it to me.” The Surgeon held out one gloved hand and Theo lifted the drill from his backpack. The Doctor took it without another word and Theo went back to looking at the action. There was a subtle shift in the air to his right, and when the chimera glanced up, the Pathologist and the Surgeon had faded into the night. He could vaguely see them sliding in and out of his vision as they tracked the prisoner down a dark alley. “Is he important? Another chimera?”

“Soon. He must be awakened.”

“Hmm.” Theo nodded, looking down in time to see Tracy kill her father. He sighed, disappointed that she dealt him a single swipe across his throat, killing him instantly. The blood spurt was wasted across the front of the van. “Pity.” He muttered, watching her run away. “Cops should be here soon. Are we staying?”

The Geneticist didn’t reply, standing there motionless. Theo didn’t press the matter, instead kneeling to examine the scene better. He looked up when the Surgeon and Pathologist returned, rising to take the tool from the Doctor. The drill bit was still dripping blood and silver: they had been successful. 

“Report later.” The Doctor ordered him and the chimera nodded. “Observe only.”

“Right. I,” They vanished from sight and Theo sighed to himself, “I got it.” 

 

The Jeep groaned in protest as Stiles turned the key in the ignition, receiving only grinding noises from the engine. He paused, then pressed the clutch, twisting the key again. The engine clunked and still refused to start. “Fuck! Come on!” The teenager swore loudly and punched the steering wheel.

Scott turned to him and placed a restraining hand on Stiles’ arm. “Dude, give it a minute.”

“Ugh, fine! Piece of junk!” He muttered angrily, throwing himself back on the seat. The Alpha was still looking at him though. "What?"

"Did you actually think your Dad was bi?"

"What?" Stiles stared at him, "No way!"

"Then why did you ask if he was going to see a man?" Scott’s brows were furrowed. He removed his hand from Stiles’ arm and looked at him. “Stiles?”

"I, I was just being, you know, I mean, it wouldn't have been a problem is all." Stiles could feel his heart pulsing, this was not a conversation he had wanted to ever have with Scott. Ever. 

"Oh, ok, it's just...err."

"What?" Stiles glanced at Scott, but the Alpha shook his head; it looked like he didn't want to discuss it any more than Stiles did. He squirmed uncomfortably in his seat, the memory of all those times, including the night before, of jerking off thinking about Scott; kissing him, licking him, sucking his thick cock, being fucked by that…Stiles swallowed, not daring to look down, even though he could feel his cock bulging against his pants. The very thought of him and Scott was enough to do that. But it was fruitless, Stiles knew Scott would never feel that way about him, never do those things to him. “Ok, then.”

Scott moistened his lips with his tongue, the little slip of it causing Stiles’ pulse to spike, his cock to throb in his boxer briefs, already leaking precum. He saw Scott frown and looked away sharply, instead grabbing the keys and twisting savagely, hoping the engine would start. Scott kept looking at him though, and Stiles glared at him, "It's nothing, just anxiety."

"What is?"

"I know how I must smell Scott, to you, to Liam, to Malia. Even though you're being subtle about it, I know you all monitor my emotional state all the freaking time." 

"Malia's subtle?"

Stiles didn't return Scott's offered grin, instead twisting the keys to yet more pathetic sounds of a dead engine. Stiles grunted in frustration and smashed his fist on the horn, hearing a weak bleat. "Fuck!" Scott glanced away from him, and Stiles just stared straight ahead, waiting for the inevitable question. 

"Are you ok?" Scott said softly, in a way designed to break down his barriers. Stiles gritted his teeth as a mental image came to him suddenly of just snuggling up into Scott's chest, the Alpha's strong arms wrapped around him protectively. But he blinked and the moment was gone. He sighed, pulling out his phone.

“Look.”

“Woah.”

“Braeden sent this to me this evening, just before we got here.” Stiles glanced at Scott. “It’s the Desert Wolf.”

“Maybe you should stop looking for her? If this is what she’s capable of, I mean.”

 _You’re telling me you’re not capable of that, Scott?_ The thought entered his mind faster that he could stop it, but aloud Stiles replied, “Yeah maybe. But Malia wants to find her, and realistically Scott, I'm the only one who can do that. Maybe not physically find her, but gather the evidence and put all the pieces together." He gave the keys another twist and to his surprise the engine started. “Huh.” As he reversed slowly, there was a squawk on the police scanner in the rear.

“All units, Code 3, all units Code 3!”

“Code 3?” Scott looked at Stiles.

“Officer in need of assistance.” He muttered, reaching back to grab the radio as the location came over. “We’re going, right?”

“Stiles,” Scott began, stopping when the dispatcher spoke again.

“Multiple officers down, prisoner has escaped, we have-”

“Donovan.” Stiles groaned, “Fuck! We’re going!” He changed gears and sped off as a row of sirens overtook them.

 

Theo looked down at the approaching figures, he thought the police would have been here sooner, but no, it was the were-coyote, the banshee, and the Kitsune. He smiled to himself, curious to see what they would do, how they would react to the grim discovery. But as they got closer, one of the officers who he had assumed was dead raised a bloody hand. Theo pulled back swiftly as Malia looked up, as though she had seen him. Peeking over the edge, the Kitsune had pulled out her phone, while the other two tried to help the injured policeman. “Tut, tut,” He whispered softly, “Only killed her father, how curious.” Theo moved around one of the support pillars to get a better look at them.

It didn’t take long for the police to show up, Theo shrunk back from the edge when they arrived. But after a moment, he knelt down to watch their activities as he had been instructed to do. Theo felt his mind wandering, growing disinterested until his ears perked up, a familiar engine sound spluttering and coughing its way towards them. “Stiles.” He whispered, feeling his pulse beat a little quicker, his eyes turn a little brighter, anticipation flooding across his senses. The Jeep stopped behind the barriers, and Theo stood up. But once both doors opened and he saw that Scott was with Stiles, the chimera felt his jaw tighten. He should be the one with Stiles! Scott could never protect him the way he could, the Alpha would never have the stomach to do what it took to protect Stiles. Theo moved back around the pillar until he could get a clearer look at the teenagers as they walked towards the Sheriff.

 

Stiles followed Scott as they hurried past the cops and paramedics until they got to the three girls. He caught the Alpha's eye as one of the stretchers went past, the deep claw marks obvious under the hurriedly placed dressings. The Sheriff stood next to the van, grimacing at the still drying blood that covered the front end of the vehicle. He waved them over and lowered his voice towards Scott. “You were there, Scott, could Donovan be a werewolf?”

“I don’t know. But I think I can get his scent.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah.” Scott nodded, looking at the rear doors. “He reeks of fear. Should be easy to follow.”

The Sheriff handed him a radio, “Use channel two-eighty, call in when you find him.” 

Stiles watched Scott jog away until he was lost in the darkness of the night. “You think this was Donovan?”

“I’m guessing you have your own theory about who’s responsible?” The Sheriff sighed.

“Yes, I do.” Stiles didn’t elaborate, unsure if he wanted to say the words aloud. Theo was the obvious suspect; new wolf in town, something was clearly not right about him, and there was that whole story he told them about getting bitten by a murderous Alpha. But then again, Stiles felt something else entirely when they were together, the way they had connected, the way Theo looked at him was…unlike anything Stiles had experienced before. Could Theo have done this? _Of course. He is a werewolf. They all could’ve done this. The question really is, Stiles, do you want that smokin’ hot piece of werewolf ass to be responsible?_ He frowned at the ground, unwilling to answer his own question. _Exactly._

 

Theo watched Scott leave, peering around the pillar to get a better view of Stiles. He could see the back of the teenager’s head bob back and forth as he spoke to his father, his words just about reaching Theo. “Yes, I do.” The chimera couldn’t smell Stiles, his scent was mixed in with all the other humans milling about the crime scene, and there was a heavy smell of blood hanging across the street. He was unable to tell what Stiles was thinking. But it didn’t matter, he had seen enough. Theo turned away, picking up his backpack and set off back to the Dread Doctor’s new lab. 

 

Stiles glanced up as Parrish walked over to them, radio out-stretched. “Scott?”

“Yeah, Stiles, I got him.”

“Theo?” Stiles muttered softly, unsure if he wanted Scott to say yes.

“Donovan.” 

“Good,” The Sheriff took the radio from him. “Where are you?”

“In a warehouse about ten minutes from here. He’s pretty freaked out.”

“Does he know who did this? Can he describe the attacker?” Stiles pressed, exchanging a look with the Sheriff. “Scott?”

“Tracy, he keeps saying Tracy.” There was a pause and a scuffle, “He tried to run again. Will I bring him to you?”

Stiles frowned at hearing Tracy’s name, turning away from them. He wasn’t sure if it was relief or disappointment that quickened his pulse. Malia was looking at him intensely, as though trying to figure out what he was thinking. He looked up as his Dad called his name. “Yeah?”

“I’m going with Parrish to get Donovan. It’s going to be a long night clearing this up, you go on home.” The Sheriff ignored his protests, “There is school in the morning.”

“Fine.” 

 

“Oh, that’s it Scott! Fill me deep! Fuck me harder!” Stiles moaned as Scott buried his hard cock deep into his best friend’s ass, grinning down at him. “Oh, you’re so dirty, Scott! I fucking love when you drill me in your lacrosse gear!” He jerked his own leaking cock in time with the Alpha's deep thrusts inside him. Stiles had closed his eyes as soon as Scott pushed his legs up, his thick cock springing out from his jockstrap, already smeared in precum. His ass was hungry for that meat and eagerly slid down Scott’s length, making Stiles moan and groan and yell his best friend’s name. He opened his eyes as his balls drew up, preparing to shoot his cream all over his smooth chest, but instead of the hunky Alpha fucking him, Theo Raeken was busy ramming his bigger cock in and out of Stiles’ ass. “Oh, my fucking god, Theo! Oh, you’re so much better! And bigger! And hotter! Fuck me! Fuck me! Fuck!” 

Stiles woke with a start, his heart pounding, covered in sweat, his boxer shorts and chest a sticky mess. “What the fuck was that?” He muttered, half sitting up to grab a handful of tissues to clean the cum off his skin. Parts of the wet dream came back to him, the familiar image of Scott, half naked, filling him, and then the shift to…Theo. “Fuck.” Stiles groaned, rubbing his other hand across his face. “Seriously?” His cheeks flushed red, thinking about the first honest thing Theo said to him, the words echoing back in his mind. _I returned for you_ “To fuck my brains out?” Stiles whispered, feeling his cock harden again at the memory, the way they had almost kissed. “He is super fucking hot though. And with that werewolf body? Yeah, I probably would.” Stiles spoke aloud, not bothering to suppress the thoughts that ran through his mind when he was awake. He reached for his phone, checking the time. “Yeah, ok, better shower.” 

 

Stiles glanced at Scott, still feeling a little on edge after his wet dream a few hours earlier. _Damn, Scott, that is one nice shirt! I can really see the outline of those hard pecs, mmph! I’d rip those buttons right off…_ It wasn’t helped when Kira arrived, greeting _her_ boyfriend with a kiss. He tried not to react too much however, as Malia stood between him and Liam; he didn’t want her blunt pronouncements to be made while everyone was gathered around.

“Tracy’s not herself,” Lydia started, “She’s been having night terrors, and-”

“And now she’s the Night Terror!” Stiles quipped, hearing a groan of protest from Liam as Lydia rolled her eyes at him. “What?” He looked across the hood as Mason laughed loudly, with eagerness so obvious it was almost blinding. 

“Oh, sorry, this is all just so...mind-blowing!”

“Right.” Stiles pursed his lips and stared at him, before glancing at the Beta. Liam avoided his, and everyone else’s, eyes by looking down at the Jeep and scuffing a bit of the dented paintwork with his sleeve. Mason continued to talk, gesturing at Kira.

“You’re a Kitsune! I don’t even know what that is!”

Stiles sighed, "Liam, you said you'd tell him, not invite him to the inner circle."

"I'm in the inner circle?"

"No!" Stiles and Liam chorused in unison, the Beta catching his eye. There was a weird pause as their contact lasted a little longer than was comfortable, Stiles looked away, gesturing vaguely. “So, what do we do about the murderous lone wolf out there?”

“We’ll find her,” Scott nodded, “We can track her and stop her from hurting anyone else.”

"Ok, how?"

"I say we put her down." Malia’s voice was calm, cold, clear. “Take no chances with her. She’s already killed her father and a load of cops.”

“Actually, just her father. Those guys should pull through.” Stiles corrected her, before shaking his head. “And no, we are not killing Tracy!”

"Intense." Mason nodded, looking at each of them. 

Stiles glared at him. "Why don't we just concentrate on catching her first?"

"Good idea," Scott replied, "I have a few classes today, but after that I'll try and find her scent, see if I can't track her down."

“Ok,” Stiles let them go, Mason waiting as Liam hesitated. “You need something Liam?”

“Uh, no.” 

The Beta moved away and Stiles watched him leave, “Yeah.”

 

Malia looked at the picture as Stiles stood in front of her, feet tapping to a hidden beat. She glanced at him. “The Desert Wolf did this?”

“Yeah.”

“Who were they?”

“I don’t…Braeden said they were a bunch of criminals. I don’t know any more.”

“So, these were bad guys?” Malia asked him slowly. “They deserved it?”

“Yeah, I'm not sure anyone deserves _that_.” He looked down at the bloody mess on the screen. “Are you-”

“Keep looking, Stiles.” Malia turned abruptly away from him.

“Ok.” Stiles locked his phone, looking around as he felt someone watching him. His eyes landed on Theo, standing at his locker across the hallway. The werewolf waved at him, smiling, his t-shirt pulled low as he shrugged his backpack off. _So fucking hot, I bet he’s completely smooth too, all the way to his balls!_ Stiles bit his lower lip, before groaning resignedly and walked over to him. 

“Theo.”

“Stiles!” His grin got even wider, if that was possible. “Are you ok?”

“Yeah.” _With you around, how could I not be?_ Stiles blinked and turned to walk away. “I should go.”

“Hey, Stiles, wait!” Theo reached out to tap his shoulder. The teenager glanced at him. “Are you-”

“I need to get to class.” Stiles cut him off, pointing in the opposite direction to where they had stopped. “See you, Theo.” _Oh, yeah. That wasn’t remotely embarrassing now, was it Stiles?_

 _Shut the fuck up, brain._ Stiles quashed the thoughts and felt a flush begin to creep up his neck. Theo was probably still looking at him too.

 

Theo glanced up as the teacher stopped in front of his table. She smiled politely at him, “Good work, Theo, glad to see the move hasn’t affected your concentration. Although, next time, keep to the questions asked.” She pointed at his doodle of the cell structure beside question five.

“Right,” He muttered. 

“Problem?”

 _Your class is boring me. How about a little practical Biology? Let’s see how you work!_ The chimera looked at her, clenching his teeth and replying aloud, “No.”

“Good.” She moved on to Scott.

Theo dismissed the 100 mark, even as he heard the girl beside him whisper “Well done.” His attention was focused instead on Scott, wondering how the Alpha managed to find time to study. But then he smirked as the teacher settled on her desk. “…lead us in a review of last night’s reading?”

 _Oh go on, Scott, what did you learn from running around the dark streets, chasing my masters’ creations?_ Theo lowered his head and smiled as he saw the werewolf’ shoulders slump, the air fragranced with his scent as it diverged from smug to panicked. 

“Uh, sure." Scott flipped the pages of the book frantically, searching for the chapter as the teacher watched him. Theo enjoyed the sight of the Alpha struggling, but his head snapped up when he smelt another werewolf nearby, _the_ other werewolf. He frowned as Liam waved frantically at Scott. _He’s cute sure, but there’s a lot of anger there. Would taming him really be worth it?_ Theo mused to himself as he studied Liam's face and body. _He is very strong, strong enough to even…Hold on, could he challenge the Alpha? Oh, now that would be fun!_ The chimera smiled to himself, an idea forming in his mind; he would need the claws, and a trigger too, but with the perigee-syzygy coming in a few weeks…He noticed Scott tap the side of his ear and Liam pulled back behind the door frame. Theo tilted his head, listening intently, the Beta’s words coming in clearly.

"She's here. She's in History class right now. Tracy, she's here."

 _Oh, how interesting..._ Theo frowned to himself, what drew the chimera here? He glanced at the teacher, her expectant gaze beginning to shift to him. Theo felt an overwhelming desire to just get up and walk out, find his fellow chimera and…But he couldn’t. The Doctors had given him direct instruction not to break his cover, to maintain the illusion that he wanted to join Scott’s pack. The Overmind hadn’t yet been revealed in Stiles, and Theo knew he had to keep his true plans a secret until Stiles was his, and together they controlled the chimeras the Dread Doctors created.

Scott was still searching for the "right" page when the fire alarm went off. Liam must have pulled the bell, Theo hid his irritation as everyone stood up, moving towards the exit. Scott would get to Tracy first. He followed the others outside, keeping his face neutral, avoiding contact with Scott’s eyes.

 

Stiles came running around the corridor in time to see Tracy bundled in Scott’s arms, non-responsive. “Quick, come with me! We’ll get the doors!” He pushed through the exit and hurried them across the parking lot towards his Jeep. “Get in the back, Scott. Animal Clinic, right?”

“Yeah, go Stiles!” 

Malia hopped into the front with him, as Scott settled Tracy onto the back seat. Stiles turned the key, breathing a sigh of relief as the engine started on the first try. “Ok, hang on!”

 

Theo stopped walking when he spotted Liam talking to Lydia and Kira. He was agitated, scowling at anyone who looked his way. The chimera didn’t like that Stiles had left with Tracy; dangerous, unaware of what she was, he could be in trouble and Theo didn’t know where they had gone. He had to protect Stiles long enough for him to unleash the Overmind, ensure the human’s survival until he could be useful for more than looking-and smelling-good. Theo dismissed the realisation that he was thinking of the human first and chimera second; it was only Stiles, he would have no reservation in dismembering the rest of them if the Doctors ordered him to. Standing behind the corner, he overheard Liam’s words, “They’re taking her to the animal clinic.”

Theo moved away before he was spotted, dodging teachers as he made his way behind the lacrosse fields into the woods. Glancing around to ensure no one could see him, Theo stripped off his jacket and t-shirt, before shucking his trousers, socks and shoes. He stuffed them into his backpack, looking up again to check he was alone. Theo pulled down his trunks and closed his eyes. The shift was instant, if a little disorientating. He picked up the backpack in his mouth and began to run towards the other side of the Preserve, near to where the Animal Clinic was located.

 

Stiles stood beside the table, arms crossed as he nervously watched Deaton examine Tracy. Scott was opposite him, and Stiles flicked his gaze across the unresponsive girl towards his best friend. The teenager’s eyes ran down the loose shirt, drinking in whatever exposed skin there was, the way the fabric bunched around his muscles when the Alpha folded his arms or made a gesture. But there was something missing this time that was there this morning. Stiles frowned, Scott was the same, his clothes too, and his movements should be making him at least half-hard, dying werewolf not-withstanding. _You’re still super-hot, Scott, and I would ride you like nothin’ else, but you’re not…Theo._ He blinked as the thought hit him. _Theo looks at me in a way Scott is never going to, I should at least-_

 _Nope._ Stiles refused to think about it any further. There was still something about the Omega that didn’t sit right; he just didn't trust Theo.

"This silvery substance at her lips is not something I've seen before," Stiles looked at Deaton as he spoke, moving closer to get a look. "It almost looks like mercury." Tracy spasmed on the table and they pulled back sharply.

"Oh."

"Can't you give her a shot of something?" Malia asked as Stiles grimaced.

"She doesn't look like she's in any pain." Deaton started, but Malia interrupted.

"I meant a shot to kill her."

"Err." Stiles shut his eyes, groaning, before opening them and turning to look at her, "Vets, uh, Druids, don't normally do that."

"I subscribe to a code of ethics that frowns on that sort of thing."

"But, how do we know she's not just going to leap up and kill us?"

"Um, ok, you have a point." Stiles shrugged, "And, I'm going to have to let my Dad know she's here sometime."

"Agreed." Deaton nodded, reaching over to pick up a bottle of Mountain Ash. "I'm not adverse to a little extra security."

Stiles watched him pour the powder around the entrance to the surgery, effectively sealing them inside. "Yeah, not really the security I wanted."

"You can just go, Stiles." Scott reminded him.

"And leave you in here with her? Both of you?" He added quickly, with a glance to Malia. "Ok, fine, fine. Now what?"

 

Theo dropped the backpack behind a tree that faced the surgery door, and padded out into the nearly deserted parking lot. He sniffed around Stiles’ Jeep, rearing up onto his hind legs to sniff the driver’s side window, before whining slightly and running back to the tree. Theo sat down on his haunches beside the tree and waited, ears perked.

 

Inside, Stiles stared at the thin line of Mountain Ash, the others glanced at him, before Deaton reassured him, "Scott is right Stiles, Tracy can't cross a line of Mountain Ash, she's not going anywhere."

"Yeah, yeah." He muttered, glancing at the barrier as it shimmered into existence when Malia touched it. Stiles looked back as Deaton moved to pick up a scalpel.

“Would you mind holding her down, please?” He asked them, “I'm going to be trying a few more invasive tests.”

Scott grabbed her right arm and shoulder, leaning his weight down on the still prone werewolf. He looked up at Stiles, who nodded after a moment, pressing his own hands on her left arm, reluctantly. Scott’s arms were nice, the bunched muscle straining through his shirt, Stiles looked at that instead of Tracy, but it still wasn’t enough. He was horny, sure, and there was a tension in his body, but that was more because he was touching a violent werewolf. Stiles averted his gaze as Scott shifted his eyes to him, staring instead as Deaton attempted to cut through her skin, achieving only a dull scrapping sound as he pressed the blade harder. There was an audible snap as the scalpel broke in two. "Uh..."

Deaton leaned back, unsure of what to do next. He gestured for the two teenagers to remove their hands. “I wonder…” He reached up to consult a book, as Scott pulled out his phone, buzzing gently in his hand. Stiles moved around Malia and walked over to Scott.

“What is it?”

“A text. The prison van driver is awake. He can talk.”

“Hmm. Anything else?”

“Not yet.”

Deaton beckoned Malia to him, “Ok, let’s turn her over.”

Stiles looked back at them, dread settling in his stomach. Scott’s phone buzzed again. 

“Oh, hey, Stiles?”

“Yeah?”

“There were no signs that the driver had a heart attack or stroke, it was just like his body locked up or-”

"He was paralyzed." Stiles finished for him, shaking his head, "No, it couldn't be...right?"

"What, Stiles?"

"I think I know what she is," Stiles whispered, his mind flashing back to Jackson’s face. 

"Would you care to enlighten the rest of us?" Deaton asked, pointing at Tracy's back. "Because this is not looking good."

Stiles and Scott walked slowly over to the table, his expression turning from concern to disgust at the sight of the twisting motion of whatever was under her skin. Suddenly, her flesh parted and Stiles lurched backwards as the white bone of ridged spines became visible, black goo spurting outwards to hit Scott and Deaton. He tore his eyes away, but not before the image was burned onto his retinas, Dry heaving, Stiles struggled for air, trying not to throw up. "Oh god!" After his initial shock, he looked up again, at once repulsed and fascinated as the animated bone and cartilage rippled up and down, chunks of flesh pulled from their natural position in her back. "This is so gross." He muttered. Without warning, a tail erupted from the cavity and Stiles was hurled backwards, his chest lacerated as it lashed across him. He went down hard, only hearing the Kanima's screeches and the thud of the others as they fell to the floor. Stiles felt the paralysis spread like a flash fire across his body, barely able to grunt as Tracy dropped to the floor. The Mountain Ash did not seem like such a good idea after all.

 _Oh,_ He thought as Tracy crossed the barrier like it didn't even matter. _Well that's great, stuck here, in this position for the next who-knows-how-long. Great job Stiles, really well done._

 _Oh, shut up brain._ He muttered internally.

 

Theo watched the doors burst open, his body stiffening as Tracy ran outside, her tail waving wildly behind her. She ran on all fours, a loping gallop that was a lot faster than he was expecting. Theo let her leave the parking lot before shifting back to his human form, and pulled on his clothes, leaving the jacket behind. The chimera glanced between the Animal Clinic and the direction Tracy went. She was a fascinating creature and Theo did want to study her in more detail, but he had to check on Stiles, had to make sure he was alive. His blood pumped faster than normal, a sense of unease entering his stomach, if Tracy had done something to Stiles, that would be unfortunate, the Doctors would be unhappy, and he would…lose something? The thought was abnormal, he found value in Stiles, certainly, but there were plenty of attractive men in the world. No, that wasn't it, looks may have drawn him to the teenager at first, but now it was more than that. They had a connection, they could be something more than just a quick fuck.

Theo finished tying his shoes, sweat dappling his brow as part of his body urged him to hurry up. But, he should wait, give credence to the idea that he wasn't lingering in the shadows, he had to let them suffer before rescuing them. Stiles suffering was an uncomfortable thought, but not so much that he didn't lean against a tree for the next five minutes. Scott and Malia's suffering was inconsequential; if they blocked his access to Stiles, he could remove them later. Besides, they were supernatural creatures, they had so little in common with him and Stiles, especially now. Theo smiled darkly at the thought.

 

Stiles felt his throat loosen slightly, voice returning. "Ugh, hey Deaton? How'd she break through the Mountain Ash?"

"I don't know," He called out, mouth pressed against the floor, "It's a barrier no supernatural creature can cross."

"Scott did it." 

"Once," Scott panted, breathing laboured, "But it almost killed me."

"Ok, we need to focus on recovering. Scott, you and Malia will be able to move a lot faster than me or Stiles, you need to concentrate on healing!"

Stiles felt a pain lance across his forehead as the others talked behind him, his body felt utterly alien to him, not even the cool floor penetrated below his neck. Tiredness overwhelmed him, eyes drooping as he struggled to stay awake. 

"Ah, I'm, I feel my fingers!" Malia cried out. "It's starting!"

"Good, good, now keep thinking about each body part until it frees up."

Stiles tried to keep a hold on Deaton's words, but they kept washing in and out of his mind; it must be the Kanima’s venom affecting him worse than the were-coyote and wolf behind him. A figure swam before his eyes; smiling, smirking, laughing soundlessly, a mirage. "Theo?" He whispered, barely a whisper against the cold tiled floor.

 

Theo's ears perked, he had heard their voices talking about getting free, focusing their energy on healing. But a word, floating on the wind made him stand up, frowning. "Stiles?" Theo checked his phone, ten minutes had gone by since Tracy had left, it was enough time. He wasn’t waiting any longer. Theo moved past Stiles' jeep, running a hand across the faded blue hood, and opened the doors to the clinic slowly.

 

Stiles blinked as Malia staggered upright, watching her charge off to try and find the Kanima. “Malia!”

“No, wait! She’s too powerful for you!”

They called fruitlessly after her, but Malia ignored them, pausing only once by the restrooms, but the Kanima’s scent was strong; acidic and easy to follow. 

Theo emerged from the doorway as Malia moved past him. She was clearly more focused on the creature instead. He moved into the surgery, helping Scott as he struggled to stand, a friendly smile playing about his lips; his expression carefully arranged to be supportive and concerned. "Alright?" He asked as Scott nodded. Turning to Deaton next, he pulled the vet upright, being waved off distractedly. That just left Stiles, still not quite mobile. Theo reached down and wrapped his arms around his ribs and pulled the resisting teenager upwards.

"No, no! You, you, let me go!" Stiles squirmed in his grip.

"Hey, I'm trying to help you!" Theo muttered, tightening his hug, Stiles could feel Theo's hard cock against his ass. Stiles arched his back, but that only served to further push his ass against the thick, obvious bulge in Theo's pants. He knew immediately what it was, and felt his own cock lengthen in response. Stiles grunted and Theo pushed himself forward so they both lurched towards the metal table. _Oh yes! Shove it right in there! Theo, you dog!_ Stiles felt his face flush crimson, even his ears radiated heat. The werewolf's hands loosened from around his middle, sliding under Stiles’ raised shirt to ghost across his skin. He didn't dare look down, feeling his cock tenting his briefs and bulging out his trousers.

Theo leant in towards his neck, nose inches from Stiles’ skin. He frowned to appear as if he was concerned about Stiles, but his nostrils flared as he greedily drunk in Stiles’ scent. It was all his; spicy and sweet and oh so heady, he closed his eyes for a second, colors dancing in front of him as wave after wave of Stiles' arousal hammered his senses. He flicked his eyes open again as the human struggled to stand upright, pushing his hands away.

"M'fine." Stiles muttered, cheeks burning as he saw the way Scott looked at him confusedly. Theo's hand rested on his back, comforting, steady. But he forced his wobbly legs straight and grasped the edge of the table. 

"Where's Tracy?" Theo asked, his eyes still on Stiles.

"We lost her." Scott replied, throwing the towel to one side. The air was heavy, hot, he shook his head to clear his mind.

"And Malia," Stiles muttered. "Ah!"

"Are you ok?" Theo looked down at him, hand creeping up to his shoulder. "Do you-"

"I'm fine." He shrugged Theo's hand away, "We need to find them."

"I can help." Theo looked at Deaton, then back to Scott. "Let me help. It doesn't mean I'm part of the pack, or you've accepted me or we're friends or whatever." He looked down at Stiles as the human raised his head. "You need me."

 _In so many ways you would not even believe!_ Stiles' mind supplied as he groaned aloud. His chest hurt, the cut wasn’t deep, but it still stung intensely. He avoided Theo's eyes, looking instead at Scott. The Alpha seemed to want a decision from him, so Stiles sighed, and nodded silently. 

"Scott." Theo said again, "I can help you."

 _You can help yourself to some of my ass, you sexy devil-ow!_ Stiles winced as pain arced across his arm, the thoughts interrupted. He bit his lip and muttered. "Scott, we need his help."

The Alpha glanced at his best friend and then at Deaton, who nodded, turning finally to Theo. "Ok, let's go."

 

Theo waited for Stiles to regain a little strength. The human could feel the werewolf's eyes on him, doing to him what he had done in the locker room the day before. Scott hadn't said anything to him, but Stiles knew he couldn't have missed it; his cock had leaked enough precum to leave his boxer briefs damp to his inconspicuous touch. He withdrew his fingers, seeing Theo move towards him before thinking better of it and pulling back. Stiles felt a smile pulling at his lips, a mental image forming of him walking over to the Omega and just wiping his damp fingers all over Theo's handsome face. His cock twitched at that and he saw Theo look at him, his own grin forming. _Are you a cum whore, Theo Raeken?_

"Stiles?" 

Theo watched as Stiles blinked, hearing Scott's call from outside the Animal Clinic, turning away from him to walk out the door. After a moment, Theo joined him, moving side by side, wordlessly.


	4. The Sacrifice

Stiles glanced in his rear-view mirror as Theo settled in the backseat, buckling in. Scott hopped into the front urging him to leave. He twisted the key in the ignition, the engine starting after a brief rattle and unpleasant sounding gurgle. “Where to?”

“Kira just texted me; the Sheriff’s station. ‘Come quick,’ was all she said.” Scott replied. “C’mon, Stiles! Move!”

“I’m going, hang on, you know it takes a while.” He muttered, heat rushing up his neck, feeling Theo watching him. The Jeep slowly gained speed as Stiles reversed out of the parking lot, Deaton’s car a silver shadow behind them. Pulling out onto the road, Stiles put his foot down and the Jeep accelerated sharply, pushing them back into their seats. 

“Did she say anything else? Like is my Dad ok, or?”

“No, Stiles. Just to come.”

“Fuck.” 

The air in the Jeep was tense, Theo could practically taste Stiles’ nervousness; bitter, unpleasant. But running underneath his obvious anxiety and fear for his father and friends was something else. Something Theo could smell notes of every now and then when Stiles looked at his rear-view mirror, when their eyes connected, when the teenager could see that Theo’s entire attention was on him. Scott could see it too, Theo noticed the way the Alpha glanced his way, before directing his gaze at Stiles.

Stiles could feel Scott’s eyes on him, a frown creasing his brow. _Oh, I wonder if Captain Oblivious finally figured it out?_

 _Not the time, brain._ He replied internally and stepped on the gas a little firmer, leaving Deaton behind.

“Stiles.” Scott called out to him, warningly. “What are you doing?”

The teenager ignored him, looking down as the needle touched eighty, before yanking the wheel hard to avoid a car emerging from a side road. “Fuck! Learn to fucking drive, dick!” 

“Jesus, Stiles!” Scott grabbed the door handle furiously.

“Stiles?” Theo moved forward, his hand reaching up to touch Stiles’ shoulder, squeezing it gently, his tone reasonable. “Stiles, slow down! You’re gonna crash!”

"I know what I'm doing." He snapped back at the Omega.

"Ok, I just want us all to get there in one piece, you're no good to your dad if you get hurt."

“I…Yeah, you’re right.” Stiles eased his pressure on the accelerator, avoiding looking at either of them. “Sorry.”

“It’s ok.” Theo patted his shoulder, sitting back against the seat, smiling reassuringly at Scott. The Alpha nodded his thanks and turned around. The chimera smirked to himself; he was good at faking emotions, at getting people to trust him, let him in, not aware of the monster in their midst. 

 

Stiles pulled into the Sheriff Department’s parking lot and braked hard, throwing them forward with a grunt. “Ugh. Let’s go!” He jumped out of the Jeep as Deaton slowed to a stop beside them. Scott led the way, pushing into the police station, Stiles walking behind him, stopping suddenly when he saw the devastation the Kanima had unleashed. The floor was slick with blood, whose he didn’t know, while one of the Deputies was struggling to stand beside his father. Theo lingered behind him, as Deaton moved past them both. Stiles turned away from his Dad, hearing strained breathing and felt his blood run cold. “Lydia.” 

Theo reeled as Stiles’ scent shifted in seconds from nervousness to outright fear, strong enough to momentarily blind him. The teenager moved away from him as the chimera tried to regain his composure, his hands covering his eyes. _Let them think you are upset, being too composed will only draw their attention._ Theo thought to himself, as he opened his eyes, and followed Stiles again.

Stiles walked slowly over to the door to the Sheriff’s office, grabbing the door frame to steady himself as he looked at Lydia sprawled on the ground. Kira was kneeling beside her, attempting to staunch the bleeding with some sort of cloth, her hands bloody, the floor around her covered in Lydia’s blood. He felt his stomach drop in fear as helplessness gripped him. Theo was behind him suddenly, the sound of his belt buckle unclipping, one hand on Stiles’ back, the other pulling the belt off his trousers. The werewolf dropped to his knees, ignoring the blood pool, moving quickly to wrap the belt around Lydia, his hands closing the loop, binding the wound shut. Lydia screamed in pain, but Stiles saw Theo grimace and keep his grip tight. 

The chimera ignored the heavy coppery smell in the air, the way the warm, fresh blood dripped down his hands and arms; his once pristine white t-shirt now a mess of red smudges and patches. Stiles was where he had left him, unmoving, unable to do anything but stare at the girl. There was pain in his eyes, his entire scent spoke of horror, upset, fear. Theo gestured for him to come closer. “It’s ok, Stiles. Come on.” But either the teenager didn’t hear him or couldn’t move, because he was immobile, staring, lips parted. Theo looked back down at Lydia, checking her pulse. “Heartbeat is rapid, she’s bleeding out.” He muttered to himself, glancing at Kira. “Did you call 911?”

“Yeah, after Scott, they’re on their way.”

“NO!” The scream rang out from across the station as a woman, who Theo assumed was Lydia’s mother, rushed forward from the cell area towards them. “Lydia!” She grabbed Stiles by the arm, hard enough to shake him back to reality. Theo’s eyes darted up, the growl dying in his throat as he struggled to control the sudden flash of anger that erupted in his chest. Kira was looking at him strangely, but her attention was diverted by Lydia coughing violently. Theo glanced at the woman as she knelt beside them, before flicking his eyes upwards to check on Stiles. He was still just standing there.

“Stiles?” Scott’s voice rang out from another part of the room. But Stiles didn’t move, he couldn’t look away from Lydia’s bleeding body. “Stiles! Come on!” Scott’s call was more insistent this time. He blinked, eyes refocusing and turned to look at his best friend, then back at Lydia. Theo nodded at him.

“Go on, Stiles, we got this.”

Lydia struggled to turn to him, speaking slowly, the effort was almost too much. “Go Stiles, I’ll be alright.”

He looked at Theo, feeling his stomach tighten as their eyes connected, the werewolf’s face conveying enough reassurance for him to turn away, moving to join Scott. Stiles helped his father to stand, the Sheriff gasping in pain as the venom wore off. Together they followed Scott and Deaton into the evidence locker, stacks of files and boxes on the shelves around them. Tracy was lying in a pool of silver goo, Malia standing over her.

“What happened?” Scott started, but Malia quickly shook her head.

“It wasn’t me!”

“Ok, but what happened to her?” The Kanima was still in her supernatural form, dead eyes open and staring into nothingness.

“I don’t know, there were these people. They had masks, came from nowhere, disappeared into the shadows.” She looked at Stiles, seeing him frown. “They were strong, injected her with something, I couldn’t do anything.”

“Right.”

“You believe me, right, Stiles?” 

“Of course we believe you, Malia.” Scott answered for him, glancing at Deaton. “Well?”

“She’s not changing back. We need to get her out of here.”

“What?” The Sheriff broke in, looking at the both. “I can’t let you do that. This is a crime scene, I need to get the coroner down here.”

“And how are you going to explain to him that this girl has claws, fangs, and half a tail?”

“I…I’ll think of something.”

“Sheriff, unless you’re planning to hold a news conference announcing that there are supernatural creatures among us, I suggest you let me take her, see what I can find out, perhaps find some way to return her body to a more human appearance.”

Stiles could see the struggle on his father’s face as he wrestled with the choice, before nodding reluctantly. “Fine, take her.”

“Scott, help me.” 

 

Stiles watched them load Lydia into the ambulance as Mrs Martin and Kira climbed in beside her. Malia was standing next to him, but he didn’t notice until Theo moved to his right, the backs of their hands barely touching, anchoring him, the sensation enough to make Stiles blink. He looked at the werewolf, seeing Theo glance back at him, his expression concerned, lips parting as though to speak. 

“We should go,” He muttered to stall any conversation. “Uh, come on.” Theo and Malia followed him outside to the Jeep, a momentary awkwardness as they silently battled who would go in the front, who would sit beside Stiles. Malia relented as Theo glared at her, and slid into the back. Theo subdued his grin of triumph and climbed into the front. “Ok?”

“Yeah, let’s go.”

Stiles drove as though in a daze, his mind consumed with thoughts of what would happen if they lost Lydia, another friend? His hands adjusted the gearstick and steering wheel entirely on auto-pilot. He didn’t even notice that Theo had his attention fixed solely on him; the Omega watching him. Or the way that Malia frowned between them, as though trying to solve a particularly tricky equation. 

Outside the ER, Stiles paced endlessly in increasingly smaller circles, until Malia put out a hand to stop him. And then he just fidgeted with his hands, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet, looking around at everything, at anything, to keep his mind occupied, to avoid thinking that the worst was happening in the room just beyond them. He looked up sharply as Melissa came out, the shape of the words on his lips. “How is she?”

“She’ll live, they’re prepping her for surgery now.” She moved past him to stand in front of the Omega, “Nice going on that tourniquet, Theo, you probably saved her life."

"Oh, um, yeah." He brushed away the praise as though being modest, seeing all their attention shift to him. Liam smelt curious, cautious, even, while the Alpha was nodding at him appreciatively. Kira sighed with relief as Malia simply stared at him, her expression unreadable, and Stiles...Theo wasn’t sure about Stiles; there was conflict in his scent despite the relief flooding through it. 

The teenager let his eyes travel up and down Theo; taking in the messed-up clothes, the dried blood still on his hands, the way his trousers had sagged slightly without the belt to hold them up. He wanted to thank Theo, but the words just didn’t come, there was still something that made him hold back; something on an instinctual level. Theo offered him a small smile, but the werewolf didn’t look away from him, his eyes locked on, even as Stiles turned to listen to Scott. There was something about that look that made Stiles’ stomach do backflips, perhaps it was the intensity of it that hit Stiles where he wasn’t expecting it. Scott glanced in his direction, perhaps hearing the way his pulse quickened, even though Melissa hadn’t mentioned anything unusual, but Theo was still gazing at him.

Theo saw Scott turn to look at them, and diverted his eyes to the floor reluctantly. Stiles avoided any further eye contact with him, the Alpha’s presence making him ignore Theo. The chimera frowned sullenly, tuning out what they were talking about. _What did you expect, Theo? That he’d profess his undying love? He’s not ours yet. Speaking of, I wonder if the Doctors got what they were looking for?_

_The Sacrifice?_

His thoughts faded as Malia began to describe the “others” she had encountered, the people in masks, killing Tracy. Theo frowned, looking at them. “What are you saying?”

“There’s some things, someone, out there.”

“Ah, uh, okay.” He let his false composure slip a little, making his scent turn uneasy, his expression darkening.

Stiles looked at him, “Theo? Are you ok?”

“I…um.”

“Here, come with me.” Stiles touched his arm and steered him towards the seats away from the group. He watched Theo sit down, his complexion was paler than normal, his hands shaking slightly. “It’s alright, it’s probably just the shock now that everything is over.” 

"Right." Theo muttered, staring at his bloodstained hands. "I, I don't…does this happen to you guys a lot?"

"Pretty much, yeah." Stiles sat beside him, shrugging.

“Oh.” Theo looked at the teenager. “That must be difficult.”

“How did you know what to do?” Stiles asked him curiously.

“Uh, Boy Scouts, after we left Beacon Hills. I just, Kira looked like she needed a hand. I wasn’t really thinking.” Theo gestured helplessly and Stiles nodded, lightly punching him on the arm.

“Good job, Theo.” He replied simply. 

 

Stiles finished writing the last of the evidence onto his board, putting the cap back on the marker. He had arrived home a little more than twenty minutes ago, having dropped everyone else off when it became apparent that the surgery for Lydia would take all night. Stiles had brought Theo home last, wanting to make sure he had recovered, well, part of him was interested in that, the rest was more curious to see if the Omega was being genuine. Theo had been uneasy, nervous, fumbling his words or just being quiet. It didn’t make Stiles feel any better about his suspicions, but there was something almost…normal about the way Theo had hesitated by his Jeep before heading into his dark house. For a moment, Stiles thought the werewolf might make a move. It was obvious to him that there was a mutual attraction there, but for some reason Theo wasn’t making a pass at him, and Stiles didn’t want to go for it and have Scott’s soon-to-be second Beta reject him. “Is that why, Stiles?” He asked himself, turning to regard his reflection in the mirror. “Or is it the fact that I might actually succeed; kiss Theo, have him kiss me back?” He snorted to himself, “Yeah, cos that’s likely. He’s pretty much guaranteed his place in the pack; first saving me and Scott, and then Lydia.” Stiles frowned at himself, “So why don’t I trust him? Is it all a little convenient? Or is it just him?” Sighing, he checked the time and groaned. “Fuck, after two already…”

Giving the board one more look over, Stiles wheeled it into the corner and turned off the lights. Lying on his back, his hand drifted down his t-shirt to rest against his cotton covered cock, half-hard already from thinking about Theo. But Stiles was tired, and rolled over onto his side instead, pushing one of his pillows down to hug comfortably. He usually thought of Scott before he went to sleep, of the times when he used to sleep over, close to him. But Stiles found another werewolf was pressing on his mind tonight and after a moment of conflict, he relented, and whispered into the pillowcase, “Theo…mmh.”

 

Theo pretended to make an adjustment to the perfect recreation of the cell structure from the board, stifling a yawn as he did so. He looked up to watch her finish her own diagram, resting his chin on his palm, bored. Scott was in front of him, writing frantically, but he seemed distracted, not focused on the class. Theo glanced at the teacher as she walked around to face them. 

“If 99.9% of our DNA sequence is the same as other humans, what could account for the missing .1% difference?” She looked around, eyes landing on him. “Theo!”

His lips twitched as the answer came to him easily. “Um,” He started, as though caught off-guard. “Nucleotides.”

“That’s right.” She gave him a look that seemed to suggest she was aware that he was faking, before continuing to speak. “Therefore…”

Theo smiled to himself and tuned out the rest of the conversation, looking at the diagram. His attention was brought back to the class when she mentioned the word “chimera”. Theo nodded as Sydney gave the definition. _We are Chimera. Mutation, pft! Those readings were insulting._ Theo grinned wider as he thought about the lessons the Dread Doctors had taught him about mutation; they had tried it often, but the results were always different, and the Pathologist found variance frustrating. 

He blinked as the bell rang, the class was over, sooner than he had expected. _Getting sloppy, Theo. Pay more attention!_ He scowled at the thought, the only interesting part of this whole thing was when he was with Stiles; the Doctors still hadn’t told him their full plan, and they were moving too slowly on the part he knew about. Theo pushed his books into his bag, as he stood up the girl next to him reached out and touched his bicep. 

“Um, Theo?”

“Yeah?” He frowned at her, confused.

“You're so good at this, Biology, I mean. I, um, I was wondering, if maybe you uh, wanted to study with me later?”

“Uh,” He stared at her and then shook his head. "Ah, no. Sorry. I have a..."

“Oh, well, how about this evening? Or coffee tomorrow?” She pressed, her tone eager, scent pushing uncomfortably against him as he realised what she really wanted.

“Err, um.” Theo could feel Scott watching him, "I'm sorry Kailey, I don't like girls like that." 

"Oh." Her cheeks coloured and she rushed past him. The chimera looked up, Scott had moved to stand in front of the dropout forms on the teacher’s desk, but there was no way he hadn’t heard that. Theo huffed his cheeks and moved past him, carefully avoiding Kira’s eyes as she waited for Scott.

 

Theo dropped his bag by the door, the Geneticist looking up as he walked into the antechamber. The concrete room was cold, dampness in the air, and the smell of blood and iron and chemicals hung like a fog around them. Theo breathed deeply, savouring the familiar scent of the Doctor’s lab, of home. He opened his eyes as the three gathered in front of him. “Tracy is dead; the Kanima.” He gestured half-heartedly, “She-it-was interesting, I would have liked to have seen it in more detail.”

“Irrelevant; testing hypothesis.”

“Right, of course.” Theo looked at the Surgeon, “What do you need?”

“We have the Sacrifice.” The Surgeon pointed at the heavy steel door blocking access to the rest of the facility. “Awake the Overmind!”

Theo grinned, hearing the touch of excitement infusing the Doctor’s voice. _Finally!_ “Tell me what to do.”

“The Sacrifice proves unwilling, convince him.” The Pathologist offered him a folder. Theo accepted it, flicking through Donovan’s police application. He looked at the Doctors.

“What did you use?”

“Wendigo base, hybrid lamprey.” The Geneticist replied stiffly.

“Cool.” His grin got wider. “That will be pretty deadly. Do you think Sti- uh, the host will be able to fight off a chimera like that?”

“We chose the host because of his strength, if he fails, it would be unfortunate.”

 _Unfortunate..._ Theo nodded, “Right, you’ll just harvest the Overmind from Stiles if he fails.”

“He will not, the host is strong.” The Geneticist stared at him. “Prepare the Sacrifice.”

“You will observe the Ritual.” The Surgeon spoke firmly, indicating that the discussion was over. Theo swallowed his response and nodded deferentially instead. 

 

He shut the door behind him, walking slowly down the steps towards the struggling figure tied to the trolley. Theo flicked open the folder again, calling out as he did so, “You're lucky they're allowing me to talk to you, they don't normally do that. They're not giving me much time either.” Donovan twisted his head to snarl angrily at Theo, but he ignored the gesture, a smile twisting his lips; this was the fun part. Walking past the Pathologist as the Doctor stood in the shadows, Theo began to speak. “They like results; numbers, statistics, metrics. They want to know if you’re a success or a failure; no point wasting resources on a failure. So, they’ll decide quickly if you can be used, if you can survive.” He moved around Donovan, looking down at the suddenly stilled chimera. 

“What do you mean?”

“Ah, it speaks!” Theo grinned suddenly, before the smile left his face. “This is your police psych-evaluation, you know it; the one that made you fail. I guess that says a lot about you, though, Donovan, that you couldn’t lie, or hide your anger?” Theo frowned at him, as though disappointed. “Still, the Doctors must see something in you to keep you alive. I’m not sure what that is though.” Donovan struggled again, glaring at him, but Theo only smirked. “You’re moderately intelligent, though not the brightest bulb in the room. Oh, don’t look at me like that, I’m sure you’ve got other qualities. Or rather, you do now.” Theo picked a random paragraph in the report and started reading aloud. “The candidate has shown repeated hostility, especially towards other candidates, and to me personally. Despite his father’s excellent service and distinguished career, Donovan has demonstrated that he does not have the mental fortitude or capacity for the office of Deputy Sheriff.” Theo laughed and hit the trashing chimera in the stomach with the folder. “Hahaha, that’s Sheriff Stilinski’s recommendation, by the way.” He moved around Donovan until he was standing in front of him. The chimera was covered in a sheen of sweat, the results of repeatedly trying to break out of the restraints. “You’re never going to be a cop, Donovan.” Theo lowered his voice, “And it was the Sheriff who made sure of it. I bet you’re really angry at him, huh?”

“Anger doesn’t cut it.” Donovan growled at him. “I’m gonna kill him!”

“Of course you are,” Theo nodded understandingly. “Especially now you have the power of being able to do whatever you want, with none of responsibility tying you down that a cop does. You can finally punish him the way he deserves.” Theo released the head restraint from Donovan, the chimera calming down. “I know what you're thinking; you want to go after Stilinski; break his legs, cut off his ears, pull out his teeth.” Theo gripped Donovan's chin hard and smiled coldly. The chimera tried to move away, but Theo just grasped him harder and laughed aloud. “The problem is, though, sooner or later physical pain is manageable, but real pain…real pain is in here.” He tapped his chest with his free hand, “Right in the heart, emotional pain will cripple you a lot longer and a lot harder than two broken legs.” 

“Ok.” Donovan muttered as Theo released him. “So?”

Theo smiled again, “You don't go after him though. No, no, no. If you want to cause the Sheriff the devastating, soul crushing emotional pain I'm talking about, there's only one person you gotta go after.” He leant in closer to Donovan, whispering, “You go after someone he loves.” 

“Stiles.” Donovan growled, snarling viciously.

 _Easy._ Theo pulled back, smirking. He walked away from the writhing chimera, calling over his shoulder, “I’ll get them to release you.” Once he pulled the steel door of the antechamber shut behind him, Theo looked at the Surgeon and Geneticist. “It’s done. He’ll go after Stiles; the host will kill the chimera and the Overmind will awaken.”

“Excellent.” The Surgeon gestured expansively with his cane, “Follow and observe. Do not interfere, Theo. Protect the Overmind, only if he survives."

Theo bowed his head obediently, speaking softly. “It will be done.”

 

“Lydia is still in the ICU, they’re not letting anyone but family in.” Stiles reported as he and Malia caught up with Scott and Kira. “But we got the Bestiary, like you guys asked.” He dropped the tome on the desk with a bang. “Sorry!”

“Good, maybe it’ll have something in here about chimeras.” Kira muttered, pulling it over to her.

“Uh, what?" Stiles looked at her.

“Chimera; a creature made from incongruous parts.” Scott answered for Kira, “Someone is making supernatural creatures that don’t obey the laws of the supernatural world. That was why Tracy was able to get over the Mountain Ash.”

“Damn.” Stiles stared at him.

“And Liam said he found two burial sites, not one, so that means Tracy is not the only chimera out there.”

“Why would they bury them?” Malia asked, wrinkling her nose. 

“Deaton thinks it's a form of incubation, part of their process.” Scott replied.

“Them…huh.” Stiles muttered, as Malia said aloud what they were all thinking.

“The people in masks.”

 

Stiles looked at his watch, focusing on the time; after eleven on a Friday night and he was stuck in the library with his cheek glued to the Bestiary. “Ugh, where are Scott and Kira?” He asked groggily, running a hand through his hair.

“They left about twenty minutes ago; some sort of emergency at the hospital.”

“Huh.” Stiles blinked awake, his voice urgent. “Lydia?”

“No.” Malia thought for a moment, “Some kid, in pain, I don’t know.”

“Mmmh.” Stiles felt his eyes droop again as he re-read the same sentence for the tenth time _They are known to have an uncontrollable appetite for human flesh which leads…_ He vaguely heard Malia wish him good night, “Mmh, be done in a few minutes, hmm.” 

“Go home, Stiles.”

“Mmh.” He drifted back to sleep as she left, walking past the construction workers finishing for the night too.

When he looked at his watch next, the hands were together at twelve midnight. Stiles groaned, pulling himself upright, grabbing the books and carrying the pile downstairs. The entire campus was quiet. “Must be the only one left.” He muttered, walking directly to the parking lot. “Been here way too often after dark…” After dumping the books on the seat beside him, Stiles pushed the key into the ignition slot. He felt the familiar nervousness as he twisted the key; the lights along the dash flickered on for a minute, the engine roaring into life. “Yes!” Then there was a high-pitched whine and a clunk as the engine cut out. “No! Damn it!” Stiles groaned to himself, looking over the hood in horror as steam started to rise from the engine block. “You have got to be kidding me, argh!” He yelled in frustration at the empty parking lot, as he pulled back the hood and waved away the clouds of steam. “Ok, busted radiator. Again. Where’s the water?” Stiles refilled the tank and followed the line down until he found the leak; the duct tape covering the hole had come loose. “Gottcha. Ok.” He tore off another strip and started binding the line tighter this time. 

 

Theo knelt among the bushes at the edge of the parking lot, watching Stiles finish fixing his Jeep. He had been tailing Donovan since the Doctors released him, the chimera’s movements had been erratic; first going home, then towards the Sheriff’s station, before changing his mind and heading towards Stiles’ house. Finally, they were all together. Theo ignored the unease that sat in his stomach, but the Overmind was different than the other chimeras, and Stiles could do it, Theo believed he could at least. Donovan was approaching Stiles from behind, the teenager apparently unaware of his presence. Theo grimaced as Donovan reached out a hand, the lamprey mouth forming in the middle of his palm. The first strike would go to the chimera.

 

Stiles tied off the ruptured line and nodded to himself. There was something that prickled the back of his neck, however as he was about to turn, a sharp, sudden pain erupted in his shoulder, as though a dozen needles were burrowing into his skin, ripping right through the fabric of his shirt. As he yelled out in agony, his voice was cut off. He felt strong arms wrap around his throat, trying to strangle him, but Stiles twisted sideways, hoping to throw his attacker off balance. The person resisted and Stiles was forced to his knees as they got the upper hand. He grunted, wrestling with the man, although a part of Stiles already knew he was not a man any longer. The creature’s hand moved to attack again and Stiles screamed as he caught sight of the gaping maw in the center of his palm.

 _Starwars!_

_Can we please concentrate on the insane monster trying to kill us?!_

He struggled forward, trying to find the wrench on the nearby Jeep, but was pulled back savagely. Letting some slack build in the monster’s grip, Stiles lunged out upwards, cracking his skull off the man’s chin. Stiles broke through the armlock and grabbed the wrench with desperate hands. Turning around he swung viciously, catching the man, Donovan, around the temple; blood spurting out from the deep gash. Stiles stared at him, “What the…” But he turned quickly, ignoring the throbbing pain in his shoulder, the feeling of blood trickling wetly under his t-shirt, the ache in his neck and head, instead focusing on moving away from Donovan. He looked back as the monster stood up, snarling wordlessly at him, one word loud and clear. 

“Stiles! Arrgh!” 

Stiles ran away, pushing into the school building, looking for somewhere to hide, anywhere, moving down the hallway as Donovan followed him, still shouting his name. He gripped the wrench in his hand tightly, feeling his grasp slipping in the blood. He moved in the direction of the courtyard, heading towards the library building. The doors were locked, the electric card reader blinking on the wall. Stiles fumbled for his key card, pushing it against the box as Donovan emerged from the main school building. The doors opened and Stiles pushed through eagerly, sweating, panting, fear and adrenaline pumping through his veins. 

 

Theo followed him, moving stealthily across the courtyard, hiding behind a pillar as he watched Stiles enter the library. He frowned as Donovan pounded on the door, before the chimera bent to the ground to pick something up. _Clumsy, Stiles,_ Theo moved quickly, rushing the door as Donovan pushed inside, catching it before it shut fully. Theo ducked inside and dove towards the darkest corner, rolling into cover just as Donovan reached the center of the library. He couldn’t see Stiles, but he could smell him; fear and stress and nervousness all bundled up together. Theo looked down at his nails as they slid into claws, he clamped down on the urge to shift; the Surgeon’s words echoing in his mind. _Observe only._

 

Stiles pressed himself against the end of the shelf, forehead on the cool metal, urging his heart to beat slower, his pulse to slow down. His hand clutched the wrench tight. Donovan was pacing slowly, searching for him. There was a buzzing sound. _Shit! Of all the times!_ His hand swept across his body, but it wasn’t there.

"You dropped your phone." Donovan called out, "It's Malia. Should I text her back? Can't talk now, getting murdered? Slowly, painfully murdered...You don't really know who I am, do you Stiles?"

_Oh god, we don't really need to listen to the psychopathic rant, do we?_

_Shut up._

_I mean, one lick of supernatural power and they go all Bond villain._

_Shut up!_

“Your Dad and mine. Did he ever tell you about that? Oh, I’m sure he mentioned it; my Dad being one of Beacon County’s great heroes and all.” Donovan looked around, but Stiles hid from sight, looking out at the chimera after a moment. “Yeah, he went in alone to a shootout, because your Dad was too chicken-shit to go in after him! Sat in the patrol car, calling for backup, when he should’ve been in there backing my Dad up! But I guess he was just too much of a little bitch to do that!”

 

Theo blinked, the scent had changed; where there was previously fear and tension, there was now anger. Bubbling, boiling, uncontrollable anger. _Guess we should avoid calling the Sheriff a coward._ Theo thought to himself. 

 

Stiles ground his teeth, glaring at Donovan from between the books.

_That son of a bitch! We can take him!_

_Are you crazy?_

“And I guess that being a scared little bitch runs in the family, huh Stiles? You going to hide like a scared boy all evening, like your pathetic father did?” Donovan called out mockingly.

_Fuck. This._ Stiles curled his fist tighter around the wrench, grinding his teeth together as anger made his hands shake, his stomach tight, muscles tensing, ready to fight. He spotted Donovan going up the stairs. Stiles moved slowly, quietly, breathing in quick, shallow breaths, trying to decide when to attack. 

Silence. 

There was no sound apart from his rapid heartbeat; nothing above him.

Suddenly hands shot through the shelves behind him and grabbed his throat, squeezing mercilessly, the scratch of teeth against his skin. Stiles wriggled vigorously and pushed forward, but Donovan was stronger and pulled him through the shelf. He lost his grip on the wrench, and the chimera hauled him upright, shoving him against the scaffolding. Stiles elbowed him furiously, forcing Donovan backwards and used the precious seconds to climb the scaffolding platform. 

Donovan roared in frustration. The monster was faster, scrambling upwards to grasp his legs and pull him down. “Don't worry Stiles, I'm not going to kill you! I'm just going to eat your legs!” 

Stiles yelled in horror, kicking downwards at his face. He struggled upwards, trying to pull the pin out from one of the supports. Blood was hammering in his ears, all his energy going towards survival, Stiles reached one final time, catching the loop of metal in his hands and yanked it out. There was a thundering crash as the scaffolding collapsed and a pile of steel girders fell onto Donovan. Stiles shielded his eyes as dust clouds covered him. He heard only a muffled grunt and the clang of steel on tile. Stiles glanced down, jaw slackening as he saw Donovan barely alive, impaled on a girder driven into the ground, a pool of blood already spilled around him. There was so much blood, too much, even if Stiles had wanted to save him.

Stiles dropped to the floor, not feeling the impact, instead looking at Donovan’s blood-covered face, his fear dissipating, the horror he had felt moments ago vanishing as relief took hold. The chimera was still alive. Stiles moved to remove the girder but Donovan snarled angrily at him. He took his hands away instead and looked at Donovan, brows furrowed. Stiles watched him die. It happened quickly in the end, cold eyes staring lifelessly, though his blood still warm and wet on Stiles' hands. Stiles looked away, wiping the sweat from his forehead, smearing the blood across his face. He stopped moving, grabbing the scaffolding as a shudder rippled across him, his chest growing tight. He looked up, breathing deeply. _It’s ok, Stiles, you’re just relieved. He’s dead. You got him._

“Yeah,” Stiles muttered aloud. “He won’t threaten my Dad again.” He felt strange, not afraid exactly, he just wanted to leave. 

 

Theo felt his hands tremble with a mix of excitement and anticipation as he watched Stiles climb down from the scaffolding platform. He grinned in the darkness when Donovan tried to growl, even when impaled by a metal rod, his mouth feeling full, fangs sliding into place. He felt his cock turn half-hard as his eyes roved across Stiles’ body; his chest heaving after the exertion of the fight and kill, blood transferred to his face and hands and t-shirt so deliciously, Theo could hardly contain himself. But he did, staying hidden, the only sound was the _plink_ of blood as it dripped off the bar onto the floor. Then Stiles released a gasp, his back arching and his limbs jolting as though a current of electricity was run through his body. Theo smiled eagerly, _This is it!_ Stiles stood a little straighter, raising his head, his eyes flick open, flashing a brilliant purple for a second before fading. Theo felt a tingle race across his skin as he watched a new chimera being made, a special chimera: The Alpha Chimera.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ran the first part of S05e05 into this since it fits better than to leave it as a cliff hanger.


	5. Secrets

Stiles glanced towards the door; the urge to run was strong, but he couldn’t just leave. Donovan might have been an asshole but, he couldn’t leave the body here for someone else to find. He stumbled over to the phone and numbly dialled 911.

“911, what is your emergency?”

Stiles moistened his lips and tried to speak, but he couldn’t. “…”

“Is anyone there? This line is for emergencies only. If you do not have an emergency, please hang up.”

He bit his lip furiously, the phone shaking in his hands, but he still couldn’t respond.

“Hello? Do you have an emergency? There’s no one there.” He heard the dispatcher talking to someone in the background. “It’s from Beacon Hill’s High School, do we have any cars in the area?” 

“Yeah, I’ll send a unit to check it out.” 

Stiles slammed the phone back on the receiver, shutting his eyes tight, his heart hammering in his chest. He wiped the sweat from his upper lip, leaving another smear of Donovan’s blood behind. The teenager looked down at the phone, his bloody prints all over the keys. Using the hem of his shirt, Stiles rubbed away the evidence. He didn’t have much time; he had to cover his tracks as best he could, it was… _Think later Stiles, we gotta get outta here!_ He thought to himself, moving back towards Donovan’s body. The blood had slowed from a constant stream to more of a steady drip. Stiles swallowed hard, his stomach clenching as though acid had been dropped through it. _No, no, no. We need to leave!_ Shaking his head, he ran towards the door, pushing down the bar before pausing, looking at the lock. He reached over and wedged a book between the doors. Stiles froze as a buzzing sound reached him; his phone was still in Donovan's pocket. “Oh, come on.” Stiles muttered as he looked at the monster’s body.

 

Theo had been watching him intensely since he saw the flash of colour in Stiles’ eyes, his stomach clenched tight in excitement, his cock a throbbing bulge in his pants. He had felt a little jolt of desire fire through him when Stiles turned around and Theo could see his bloodied face, fresh with the scent of victory around him. He massaged his cock through his trousers when Stiles wiped his face again, suppressing the groan that threatened to emerge from the action. However, the Alpha Chimera didn’t seem to notice him, freshly made, perhaps he didn’t know how to wield his new powers. Although, what were his new powers? The Dread Doctors never told him what the Overmind could do. 

Theo longed to stand up and make himself known, but Stiles was freaking out, he could smell it in heavy waves coming from the teenager. He watched as Stiles reached inside Donovan’s jacket with a grimace to pull out his phone. Theo shut his eyes as Stiles’ scent hit him again; the same current of fear and stress with an incredible burst of power rushing through it, forcing Theo to shift, his eyes bright yellow, fangs bursting from his gums. He clenched his fist tight, his claws digging into the flesh until blood welled between his fingers. The Alpha turned away and Theo found that he could resist going to him, but the pulses of influence and attraction that flowed through his scent were nearly impossible to fight. 

Stiles padded backwards, Donovan’s empty eyes seemed to stare at him accusingly. He didn't want to leave the body here, and there was evidence all around him. If they printed the scaffolding, the metal bar...this wasn't a speeding ticket his Dad could shield him from. But there was no time to clean things up, to hide his presence from the scene. All he could do now was leave, and try and figure something out later.

Theo breathed a sigh of relief when Stiles left, he had not been expecting the Overmind to be so powerful, he would have to get more answers from the Dread Doctors. He stood up and looked around the shelves to make sure the Alpha had actually left. The police would no doubt be here soon; he had heard the Deputy’s words across the phone line. It would be an irritating distraction if the Alpha was arrested...The Alpha Chimera! The name sent a shiver down his spine. Theo moved around to inspect Donovan, the luckless chimera having served his purpose flawlessly. _You were a worthy sacrifice to Awaken a power so magnificent in a body so perfect!_ He reached down and dipped his fingers in the chimera's blood, covering his own hands in the viscera, before he raised them to his lips and nose, smearing the blood across his face, closing his eyes, opening them a moment later; yellow eyes burning bright. The same blood covered Stiles’ face, the texture against his hands, the slow drip of it down his neck was enough to make his cock drool in his trunks, all he needed was Stiles here with him to truly enjoy the moment. He released the air he had been holding, grabbing a nearby sheet the work-crew had left behind and used it to wipe his face clear. There was work to be done.

Theo reached out and gripped the bar in the places where Stiles had, smearing the Alpha's prints and leaving smudges of his own. Glancing at the scaffolding, he grabbed the cloth and climbed the remaining structure, wiping away any trace of Stiles from where he shouldn't be. Theo dropped to the ground, pausing when something shiny caught his eye. Stiles' ID card was floating on the blood pool. The chimera reached down and plucked it up, sliding it into his pocket for safe-keeping. Picking through the debris by the broken shelves, Theo found the wrench that Stiles had used to defend himself with. “More evidence, best to destroy it later.” He muttered to himself, walking over to the phone. Theo nodded approvingly at the smudged prints that covered the phone. He had done as much as he could. All that was left was Donovan, and the dead chimera wasn't worth the effort or mess to get rid of.

 

In the parking lot, Stiles hurriedly restarted his engine, slamming the hood shut and sliding into the driver's seat, panting with exertion. _Go! Go! Go! Come on, come on, Stiles!_

 _I’m going, I’m going!_ He twisted the key furiously and felt some of the tension ease as the Jeep started immediately. The headlamps illuminated the empty parking lot in front of him. Stiles looked at his still bloody hands; he should wash them off in case someone saw, in case he got stopped. His fingers started to tremble as his mind replayed the events in his mind. It was necessary; Donovan was going to kill him, he didn’t mean for the chimera to die, but the monster was going to eat him! “Fuck.” He muttered aloud, running his hands across his face; his pulse was still racing, sweat pouring down his body, his breath was tight; his chest was on fire. “What did I…This…fuck.” Stiles’ head shot up as sirens reached him from down the street. He had to decide. “Okay, okay.” He put his hand on the gearstick, gripping the knob tight as the other curled around the steering wheel, his eyes resting on his bloodied knuckles. “Go Stiles!” 

The decision was impossible; go and live in fear for the rest of his life, or stay and give up everything he had for the sake of some psycho-wannabe cop who tried to kill him. Stiles thrust the gearstick into reverse and pulled all the way back to the far curb, killing the lights. He couldn't just run. The patrol car swung around the corner moments later, Stiles ducked further into the shadows cast by the overhanging tree. He watched as the officer emerged from the cruiser, his chest tight, breathing loud and hard. It wasn't the actual Sheriff though, the thought of his Dad finding Donovan, and he'd know, he'd just- Stiles squeezed his eyes shut, opening them again as the man moved towards the library doors. Stiles tapped the steering wheel rapidly as the officer went inside, the moment seeming to stretch into an eternity.

Theo crouched in the undergrowth opposite Stiles’ Jeep, eyes on the teenager. He could hear his heartbeat from where he was sitting, but the Alpha’s scent was normal. Perhaps Theo was too far away from Stiles to smell his chimera power. He looked up as the police officer walked away from his cruiser towards the library. _You know, it would be easy to kill the man, prevent the sacrifice from being discovered, give the…give Stiles a chance to escape?_ Theo dismissed the thought as soon as it arrived; they didn’t need any more problems.

Tears pricked Stiles' eyes as he glanced at himself in the mirror. This was worse than anything he had ever done, but it was, no, he couldn’t try and justify this. Not now. He looked away, avoiding his own guilty stare. The officer came back out and Stiles slid lower into his seat, reaching over to turn the dial on his police scanner as the cop took hold of his radio.

“Dispatch, I'm ten-ninety-seven, and there's no one here.”

“What...” Stiles muttered, sitting backwards in surprise.

“It's a six-fifty-three,” The officer finished, getting back in his car.

“Roger that, prank call.” The Dispatcher confirmed. “Return to your patrol.”

Stiles turned the radio off, eyes wide, he didn't understand. It had happened, he had killed someone, Donovan's blood was all over his hands. How could the Deputy not see it? Relief crept into his stomach as he ran over the words again. _No one there._ Could Donovan be alive? No, that was crazy, the guy had a metal bar in his chest, there had been blood everywhere! But then how...He had to go back inside, see what the Deputy had seen. 

 

Theo's ears perked up as Stiles left his Jeep, running back towards the school. He too had heard the officer's words. But instead of following Stiles, Theo stood up and ran away into the night.

 

Inside, Stiles pulled open the door, skidding to a halt when he saw the interior of the library. It was pristine; everything that had been there less than ten minutes ago, was gone; the blood pool, the metal bar, Donovan. It was as if it had never happened. “What the literal fuck?” Stiles walked over to the neatly placed rack of metal bars, reaching up as a glint of something caught his eye. The blood was still wet to the touch, coming away from the otherwise unblemished bar; proof enough that it had happened. Someone just cleaned it up. The realisation made his stomach clench tighter. _Who had it been? Did they know what he had done? Why did they hide it?_ "Good questions. But I need to get outta here." Stiles muttered.

 

The hot water was steaming up the bathroom as Stiles dumped the pile of towels onto the toilet seat. He wiped away the moisture on the mirror and looked at his face. The bloody smears had mostly faded, but sweat still dappled his brow and upper lips. Stiles unbuttoned his shirt, shrugging it off with a grimace. Now that the adrenaline had faded away, his shoulder was a mass of pain. He pulled off his t-shirt, discarding it on the floor, turning his head to try and inspect the cut. Stiles groaned as a fresh trickle of blood dribbled out of the circular wound. After washing his hands, he tenderly explored the cut. It was deeper than he thought, and his stomach clenched queasily. He popped open the blister pack of painkillers and quickly swallowed two of them. Pulling his hands back, he cleaned them again and stripped off the rest of his clothes. The water was going to sting, but he needed it; he needed to get clean. 

Stiles adjusted the temperature until he could stand beneath the spray. His shoulder was still sore, but the Tylenol was effective. He closed his eyes and angled his face upwards, feeling the water rush across his features, down his neck and across his torso. Stiles turned quickly to wash his back, gritting his teeth as the wound flared in pain. He bowed his head again to just stand there with the water rushing over him. Stiles tried to avoid thinking about Donovan, to think about something else, anything else. He trailed one hand down his chest and massaged his limp cock, seeing Scott’s smiling face in his mind’s eye. This was always effective, he could always go back to his fantasy of meeting Scott in the showers after lacrosse practice and finally sucking off his best friend. Of getting down on his knees and taking that thick Alpha cock into his mouth, feeling it fill him to the point of choking. Stiles began to jerk his hardening cock, the water making it easy. His eyes were closed, losing himself in the fantasy. Scott pulling him up and pushing him against the wet tiles, spreading his legs aggressively, rough hands gripping his tight ass just the right way; the Alpha’s fingers forcing inside. Stiles was stroking hard at this point, his hole clenching around the thought of his best friend’s fingers buried inside. “Uh, Scott! Yes, yes, yes! Scott, Scott, mmh!” He felt himself cumming, Stiles speeding up as the image in his mind changed again, as it had for most of the past week, into Theo. “Oh, Theo! Mmh, yes, you’re so fucking hot!” Stiles groaned louder as he saw Theo’s friendly smile, his intense gaze, his smooth chest from that night in the woods. “Ah! Oh! Oh my god! Yes, yes, Theo! Theo, Theo, Theo!” The first shot erupted from his cock and splattered against the tiles as Stiles arched his back, ignoring the spasm of pain that the movement sent across his shoulders. He kept jerking furiously, trying to prolong the experience as much as he could; the remainder of his cum dripping onto his hands, washing away. His vision was blurry and he shook his head, glancing at his reflection in the mirror. Stiles blinked, doing a double take. _I could’ve sworn…purple. No._ He looked away, rinsing the sweat and mess he had made from his body. As his cock returned to its flaccid state, he felt the knot of tension returning to his stomach; temporary stress relief was over.

 

Stiles towelled his hair dry, the wound was covered with an awkwardly placed bandage, but he could wear a light t-shirt without it chafing. The evidence board was standing in the center of the room: Theo and Tracy’s names were still there. _My name should be there, right up beside Tracy and Theo…_

“No,” Stiles muttered aloud, in response to the thought. “Not Theo. He might be evasive and mysterious, and so fucking hot, but he hasn’t killed anyone; he’s helpful. Maybe even caring.” Stiles looked away, grabbing the pen and turning back to write Donovan's name. If nothing else, it would remind him that he really had killed the monster. He paused and thought for a moment before writing again, running the two possible scenarios in his mind.

“Donovan not dead. Walked out.” 

“Donovan dead.” He underlined this one twice; the guy had to be dead. Stiles had watched him die. The thought caused his chest to get tight again; breathing in short gasps, shoulders heaving with the effort. He kept replaying the events over and over, as though searching for a way he could have done something differently. Stiles stared into the mid-distance, seeing Donovan glare at him as he gripped the metal bar, slick with the chimera’s blood. That was the way he had died, staring at him. Stiles blinked his eyes rapidly to stop the images from reappearing, moving closer to the board, raising his hand to write the most obvious possibility now.

“Someone took the body.” His fingers shook uncontrollably as he tried to form the words, the sensation running through his arm and across his chest. His lungs burned as though being squeezed. Stiles dropped to one knee, his eyes flaring purple as he gasped for air. The feelings passed and Stiles coughed dryly, his throat sore and raw. His eyes faded back to their natural colour. He pushed himself upright again and used the heel of his hands to push the tears away. 

Stiles stared at the words he had written, _No..._ He grabbed the eraser and started scrubbing them out. The action felt good, as though he was removing any trace of the crime, it never happened, all he had to do was believe that. But the words weren't coming off, the marker just smudging and Stiles felt the fear and panic rise and overwhelm him, grunting in frustration and hurling the eraser at the board. He pressed his forehead against the Perspex, fists beating the board uselessly, not crying exactly, but feeling the hopelessness engulf him. His shoulder flared again, pulling him from his despair savagely; he must have opened the wound. Stiles reached his hand back to gingerly touch the area. He flinched as his fingers brushed against inflamed skin around the bandage and then jumped as his phone vibrated loudly against his thigh. He reached in for it, hesitating for a moment before answering.

“Scott?” His voice was even, more controlled than he thought.

“Stiles. Someone is taking the bodies.”

 _Well, isn’t that convenient?_ Stiles didn't reply and Scott spoke again. “Stiles? Stiles are you there?”

“Yeah, I, uh, yeah.” He ran a hand through his still damp hair. “Where, what are you talking about Scott?”

“I'm at the Animal Clinic with Kira. Tracy’s body is gone and Lucas’ is missing from the morgue. The lock was broken from the outside, Stiles!” 

_You are entirely too excited about this, Scott._ He didn’t say anything aloud, however.

“Stiles? Someone is stealing the bodies!”

 

“It worked.” Theo looked at the assembled Doctors, unable to hide his grin. “The Overmind has Awoken; the Alpha Chimera!”

“The Alpha Chimera?” The Surgeon echoed back at him slowly. Theo’s smile faded a bit.

“Well, that’s what he is, right?”

“In a way, yes.” The Doctor conceded. “He does lead the other chimeras, that is his purpose.”

“So…he didn’t really change much.” Theo looked at them hopefully. “What will he look like?”

“Himself, I would hope.” The Geneticist muttered. “The Overmind should be indistinguishable from the human it was grafted into. What colour were his eyes?”

“Purple. Bright purple. It was…hard to describe. I felt pulled to him, I could barely resist.”

“How close were you?” The Pathologist asked, turning to regard Theo.

“I’m not sure, about ten, fifteen feet, maybe; the other side of the library.” He shrugged as they turned to look at one another. “Why? Are his powers proximity based? Or is it something to do with his scent? It was incredible.”

“Yes, that is correct.” The Surgeon nodded before explaining further. “The Overmind’s power comes from the ability to dominate other chimeras through the release of bio-chemical agents.” 

“These are secreted through his skin in the form of sweat, but is only effective within a defined range- it grows weaker and less powerful the further a chimera gets from the Overmind.” The Geneticist added as Theo looked between them.

“Seriously? Sweat?”

“The Overmind was never intended to be a front-line soldier, like you Theo.” The Surgeon’s voice almost had a touch of humour about it. “His ability to command and control makes him a target. And with no physical powers, this makes him vulnerable, he must be protected.”

“So, that’s why you need me close to him?” Theo looked at them, frowning.

“Do not pretend that this is some great hardship for you.” The Pathologist rebuked him sternly. “The _Alpha_ , as you call him, relies on other chimeras to fight for him, yes. But surrounded by them, he will become more powerful.”

“How do you know?” 

The Doctors didn’t respond, their voices retreating into a static scratching as they spoke to each other. Theo suppressed his irritation. Finally, they answered. “We have theorised. The previous subjects barely survived implantation, and those that did, died soon after.”

“Right. So, he could have more powers?”

“You miss the point.” The Surgeon snapped at him. “You are his power, the Overmind can command his chimeras to do _anything_. Perhaps in time, we will augment his powers further.”

“How?” Theo asked uneasily, his mind drifting towards the things Stiles could ask him to do.

“Mimicry.” 

Theo waited for the Doctor to elaborate, but the Surgeon just looked at him expectantly. “Okay. So, I need to get closer to Stiles, right?”

“As close as possible.” The Geneticist confirmed as Theo nodded, already feeling an unfamiliar sensation sweep through him. It was like horny excitement, but not quite. He turned away from them and left the lab, his thoughts consumed with how he could turn Stiles being the Alpha Chimera to his advantage.

 

Theo finished getting dressed, stuffing his towel and workout gear into his locker. The boys’ locker room was quiet this early in the morning, but he froze when he heard footsteps come down the nearby stairs. After a moment, he relaxed, smelling Scott’s scent as the werewolf approached him. Theo turned around and nodded his hello as Scott opened the door.

“Hey Theo. Liam said he saw you go down here.”

“Oh.” _Observant little wolf, isn’t he?_ He shrugged. “Just working out. I’m done. What can I do for you?”

Scott reached into his bag and pulled out a sheaf of photocopied paper. “Here. Have a look.”

Theo took the pages from him, seeing the Doctors illustrated on the front page. _Ah, the book. They found it. Finally._ “Um, what is this?”

“You don’t know what it is?”

“I’m sorry,” Theo shrugged, apologetic. “I'd never even heard of a Kanima before a few days ago, I mean, I can see that it’s a book.” He glanced up as Scott nodded, using his innocent expression that always seemed to work well. The werewolf gestured for him to keep looking though. Theo flipped through the pages, stopping to scan a paragraph. “Damn Scott, this is really violent. Wait, you don’t really think this actually happening?” 

“Yes. No. I don't know.” Scott sighed exasperated.

“Oh, do you want me to read it?” Theo asked, letting his scent become hesitant, unsure.

“No, not yet. I'm only on chapter one.”

“You guys do this a lot, huh?” He looked up at Scott, eyes widening slightly, brows raised.

“What?”

“Get involved.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Hmm.” Theo smiled a little, looking back at the printed pages. “Why don’t you try and contact the author? He’d know if it really happened?”

“No, we thought of that. Lydia thinks it’s probably just a pen name.”

“Huh.” The chimera flipped to the back page of the book. “Hey! What about this guy?”

“Valack?” Scott whispered, looking at the dedication Theo showed him.

“What? Do you know them?”

“Yeah. We know him. We know where he is too.”

“Who is he?”

“Uh, it’s ok. Thanks for your help Theo.”

“Ok.” Theo frowned at him, reaching out to touch his arm. “Hey, uh, have you seen Stiles today?”

“Stiles?” The werewolf repeated back at him, but Theo just looked innocently at him. “Um, he’s sick. He won’t be in today.”

“Oh, okay.” The disappointment in his voice was genuine.

“Do you want me to-”

“No, it doesn’t matter.” Theo shrugged the question away. “See you later Scott.” He waited until the werewolf had disappeared from range and then grabbed his bag, moving towards the exit. He dodged a late teacher and climbed into his truck.

 

Theo ran down the stairs to the Doctor’s lab, calling out as he went. “The book worked!” Two of the Doctors turned from their studies to stare at him, the Surgeon nodding, as though pleased. Theo came to a halt in front of them, catching his breath. “Now, they're going to see Valack.” He looked back as the Geneticist arrived on the stairwell behind him. “They're going tonight!”

The Surgeon looked behind them to the large tank, whispering sibilantly, “To Eichen!”

Theo moved a little closer, “What do I do?” 

“Protect the Overmind. We will test him soon enough.”

“Right.” He paused, looking at them. “But what about tonight? Scott doesn’t trust me enough to bring me with his pack, and the defenses-”

“You will not be going.” The Surgeon interrupted him. “If the Overmind is with them, he will not be harmed. He has value.”

Theo looked at the Doctor’s turned back, before nodding reluctantly. “Fine. I’ll figure something out.”

“See that you do, our experiments have advanced. More chimeras have been made.”

“More?” The chimera echoed, questioningly.

“The Overmind’s control must be tested, whether he is aware of it or not.”

“Oh, good.” Theo muttered.

 

“You don’t have to come!”

Stiles glanced at Lydia, wearily, the dark circles under his eyes evidence of a night without any sleep. “Yes, I do.”

“You said you were sick.” She pointed out, arms crossed.

“I’m better.” He muttered. “I’m not letting you go in there alone. Look, I’m just a bit under the weather.”

Lydia raised a brow as he struggled to pull on his pullover, before abandoning the attempt and grabbing a jacket instead. “Oh, I can see that. All the more reason you don’t have to come.”

“Argh.” Stiles grimaced as the action of pulling his right arm through caused a wave of pain to wash across his shoulder.

Lydia noticed his expression. “What was that?”

“Nothing, it’s just a headache.” He muttered, avoiding her eyes. “Let's go.”

“Hmm, that was your shoulder.”

“So? Pain radiates, it does that.” Stiles moved to leave, but Lydia slid into the doorway. “Lydia, I’m going. You need me.”

“I have Scott and Kira with me. You can barely stand.”

“When Deaton last talked to Valack, it nearly killed him. You really think Scott and Kira can fight that? Besides, you need me to ask the right questions.”

“I bow to your superior knowledge, grand master.” She mock-bowed at him and straightened up as he looked at her, unamused. “Stiles, the last time we were at Eichen House, one of the orderlies tried to kill us.”

“And we survived. Teamwork!” He pushed past her before Lydia could object further.

 

Scott was watching him more than normal during the drive to Eichen, and as they stood outside the gates waiting to get in, the Alpha approached him.

“Are you feeling better, Stiles?”

“Yeah. Not much better than you last asked me though.” He snapped back.

“Right.” Scott looked down at the ground. “So, um, I was, the, uh.”

Stiles frowned at him, sensing that Scott had stopped himself from saying what he had started. “How are things with you and Kira?” He asked, diverting his friend’s attention away from him.

“Yeah, we’re fine. I mean, I think there’s something going on with her; she’s talking in her sleep.”

“So?”

“In Japanese.”

“I don’t see the significance, Scott.” Stiles shrugged.

“She doesn’t speak Japanese!”

“So? If that’s the only thing going on, then-”

“No, no, it’s more than that.” Scott interrupted him. “When we were fighting Lucas at the club, she went kinda out of control.”

“How?”

“She took Lucas down and was about to kill him. I managed to stop her, but like, the fox spirit is becoming too powerful.” Scott looked at Stiles as he listened unfazed.

“Wasn't he trying to kill you though?” Stiles asked, frowning, trying gauge the werewolf's reaction. He unconsciously reached back to grab the bandaged wound. “I mean, that sounds like self-defense.”

“Err, it was more than that. She nearly took off his head.” Scott shook his own as Stiles stared at him.

“Maybe she had no choice.” Stiles replied woodenly.

“What? How can you say that, Stiles?”

“Scott, come on,” He moistened his lips as he talked. “There has to be a point where self-defense is justified. They’re monsters, they are not supernatural creatures.”

“They’re not monsters, Stiles, they’re victims. We should be trying to save them, not put them down.” 

Stiles frowned at him, realizing that Scott would never accept what he did, would never forgive him for it. The Alpha would always see it as a wicked act, no matter what the context. He felt a spark of anger rush through him. _It’s alright for you, Scott! You have powers, and you weren’t there. Us mere mortals have to defend ourselves against the monsters however we can._

“Stiles?

“It doesn’t matter.” Stiles gestured at Kira and Lydia. “The gate is opening.” He walked over to join the girls, feeling Scott’s gaze lingering on him.

 

Stiles glanced around the lobby, already feeling anxious, his muscles tense as unease dripped into his stomach. He hated this place, hated the memories that it held for him when the Nogitsune had him in his grasp, the dank darkness of the basement, the secrets in the walls, the-

“Stiles?” Scott's voice brought him back to the present. He blinked his eyes into focus and glanced at the expectant orderly holding out a plastic container. Stiles shrugged and dropped his phone and keys on top of Lydia’s bag. 

The man nodded dourly at Kira. “Your belt too.”

“I kinda need the belt, it completes the whole outfit!”

“Please take off your belt, which the patients will try to take from you and use to harm themselves or others, and put it into the container."

“Uh, ok.” She dropped it in. 

Stiles frowned as he saw the way the man had turned his head to stare at Lydia. He looked between them, she was clearly uncomfortable with his lingering stare. But Stiles didn't say anything in case they were denied entry. Instead he let his gaze drop and his eyes rested on a large brass pin lying in the container. _Oh, shit._ He felt his stomach drop as realisation struck him. Stiles swallowed hard, fighting to control the panic rising in his body. He had to act cool, had to make sure he didn't draw Scott's attention. How had he been walking around with _that_ in his pocket all day? He had to get it back, make sure it was destroyed. Holding onto evidence was a sure-fire way to get himself caught. As Stiles was about to make up an excuse to leave and retrieve his things, the nearby door opened and a guard stood waiting by it. Scott and the others turned towards him as Stiles watched the orderly take the container away. _No, no, no. Shit, shit, shit!_

Stiles followed the others down the stairs as the guard answered Scott’s questions; they were headed into the secret cell block, a favour to Deaton that the man was clearly ill at ease with. He looked at the guard as they reached a landing. “So, Valack? How, um, do we like, avoid looking in his third eye?”

“I would suggest avoid looking at any of the patients in their eyes, however many they have.”

“Oh, great. Got it.”

 

Theo spotted Malia as he came around the upper book shelves. He walked towards her table and dropped his books, sliding into the vacant seat opposite her. She looked up at him, expression unreadable. Theo smiled disarmingly, letting his scent become warm, friendly. “Page-turner?” He nodded at the highlighter in her hand, traces of a laugh in his voice. She didn’t reply and he chuckled softly, his voice had a musical quality that seemed to perplex her further. Finally, Malia shook her head slightly.

“Not exactly.”

Theo sorted his math books side by side, as she continued to frown at him. He held up the precalculus book in one hand, smirking. “Neither is this.”

Malia didn't seem to know what to say, and Theo put the book down, opening his notebook. After a moment, she broke eye contact and resumed highlighting the pages. Theo's grin never left his lips. _Cautiously now._ The chimera looked at the careful row of numbers written in his notebook, picking up his pen to continue on. He could feel her glancing at him from time to time, but he appeared not to notice, humming softly to himself as he worked. 

 

Stiles had taken the lead and followed the guard towards the special wing of Eichen House. He stopped and looked back at Scott and Kira, immobile in the middle of the corridor. The guard turned, “You didn't think you were all going, did you?”

“It's Mountain Ash, isn't it?” Scott asked.

“Everywhere, but especially concentrated here.” The guard confirmed as he unlocked the door, pushing it open. “Valack's cell is the last one at the end of the hall. Good luck.”

Stiles frowned as he stood back, letting him and Lydia proceed. He guided Lydia forward, feeling his skin prickle as the iron door swung shut behind him. The hallway was long, with smooth walls and yellow light shining down from Spartan bulbs. It led towards the cells, turning a corner to a row of the small spaces. The...inhabitants seemed to sense their presence, stirring from their cells. Stiles tried not to look at them, but he could see Lydia glancing into each. He blinked, slowing his pace as his pulse jumped suddenly; Donovan was in one of the cells. Standing upright, motionless, but uninjured. _What? No. No, no, no. You’re dead!_ Stiles’ mind screamed at the cell. It couldn’t be him…Stiles moved closer to the glass before pulling back as a twisted, orc-like monster growled at him. He shuddered and tore his eyes away. Finally, they reached Valack's cell. 

The doctor was sitting cross-legged on the floor, his third eye concealed by a bandage. He glanced up as they approached. Valack looked directly at Stiles. “Tell me what you just saw?”

“Me?”

“The creature in the previous cell; The Sluagh. The myth is that they can take on the appearance of the lost souls that have become inextricably bound to it.” He paused, smiling knowingly at Stiles. “Happen to have seen any lost souls, Mr. Stilinski?”

Stiles frowned, but didn't answer. Lydia moved closer to the glass.

“We need to ask you some questions.”

“Naturally.” Valack arose, walking over to them, a smile playing about his lips. “Did you bring the book?”

Stiles nodded and reached under his jacket to retrieve it. He held it up to the glass. “Here.”

“Very nice.” Valack murmured. “First edition. Of course, there only was one printing. I wrote it using a pseudonym, as you’ve probably guessed.”

“Why?”

“I had a reputation to maintain. I couldn’t be associated with a trashy teenage novel.”

“I meant why did you write it?” Stiles said, glancing around.

“Ah,” Valack smiled again. “It’s more than just a book, you know. It's a tool, designed to open your eyes.”

Stiles stared at him, “To what?”

“To them. The Dread Doctors!” 

 

Malia stood up suddenly, Theo stopped writing and glanced at her. They had been studying in almost total silence for the last two hours. He frowned, seeing his opportunity to question her about Stiles vanishing. He put down his pen and glanced at her. “Need a ride?”

“I can take the bus.”

He hummed, fiddling with his pen. “Uh, last one left an hour ago.”

She shrugged, “I'll walk.”

Theo smiled, leaned back in his chair. “Haven't I seen you coming out of Driver's Ed?”

She stared at him, and sighed. “I hope not.”

He chuckled, and she blinked. “Hmm, I'm pretty sure I saw you destroy a couple of traffic cones the other day. Annnd nearly take out a Sophomore.” He twirled his pen along his fingers, raising his brows at her.

“The Sophomore shouldn't have been standing there.” She replied defiantly.

Theo laughed again, lifting his keys up, “Sounds like, uh, you could still use some practice?”

She frowned at him, he could smell her conflict; uneasy, but also curious. He jiggled the keys before flicking them at her. He smirked when Malia caught them without looking away from him. She returned his smile and Theo nodded, standing up to gather his books into his bag. “Let's go then.”

 

Valack smiled dismissively at them. “You haven't even read it yet, have you?”

Stiles shuffled his feet, avoiding the man's eyes. “We’ve been busy.”

“I wrote it because no one believed me. No one listened.”

“Who are they?” 

“Not who, _what_. The Dread Doctors were all once human scientists, though they are neither anymore. They worshipped the supernatural, interested in harnessing the powers of energy, frequency, and vibration. All in an attempt to find and understand the secrets of the universe.”

“What did they find?” Stiles asked, frowning.

“They discovered their secrets in electro-magnetic forces. This prolongs their lives, gives them strength and power, and most importantly; the ability to make their victims forget that they ever saw them.” He finished with a sudden grin. “That is why you need to read the book; it will help you remember.”

“What do they want?”

“A good question, Lydia. Everyone wants something, don't they?”

Stiles rolled his eyes, of course it wasn't going to be that easy. “Ok, so what do you want?”

Valack held up a recorder before putting it into the slot on the door, pushing it out to them. “I want your scream, Lydia.” 

Stiles grabbed the recorder from Lydia's hands. “No way! Nu uh, not happening, Sorry!”

“Stiles!”

“No!” He pulled her away from the cell, lowering his voice. “We cannot give this to him.”

“But we need-”

“Are you crazy? I don’t want to even know what he plans to do with this.” Stiles muttered darkly.

“How many have died so far? All them teenagers, am I right?” Valack called out to them. Stiles and Lydia turned to look at him. “Want to know how many died the first time they came here? I wonder how many will die if they succeed?” Stiles stared at him _They can't possibly hide that many dead teenagers…_ The lights flickered overhead. “You don’t get it, do you? Silly children groping in the darkness to throw a lever and re-ignite one of the most powerful beacons of supernatural supremacy with no regard to the consequences!”

“The Nemeton.” Lydia whispered.

Stiles stared at Valack, “How do you even know about that?” 

“I know because I saw it.” Valack ripped off his bandage and the bloody wound was laid bare before them; raw, cracked skin, fleshy interior making Stiles' bile rise, even as he was unable to look away.

 

The power began to fluctuate across the facility. Valack looked up, frown creasing his brow, “Who did you come with?” 

Stiles managed to tear his eyes away from the man and shuddered in revulsion, but Lydia moved closer. “Our friends.”

“What are they?”

“Don't answer that,” Stiles moved closer, shaking his head. The lights behind him exploded in a shower of sparks and darkness consumed them. He felt the familiar sensation of fear crawl across his skin.

“You brought a Kitsune!” Valack stared at them. “And now she can’t control herself. You fools!”

“What do you mean?” Stiles demanded as the back-up power generators came online, illuminating the area in a greenish light.

“Eichen House is protected by more than just Mountain Ash. It is built on a convergence of telluric currents, or ley lines, which provide powerful electromagnetic barriers around the institute, allowing it to keep certain creatures in and others out.” He explained, smiling grimly. “And now, your Kitsune friend has interrupted those defenses, leaving us vulnerable to attack.” 

Stiles stared at him as a strange sound reached the edge of his hearing; a sort of hiss and sizzle, like the humming he sometimes heard from high current electricity lines. He turned around, scanning the shadows. “Is there something there?”

“They knew you were coming. They're here!” He glared at them, “And you unlocked the door for them.”

 

“Ok, so first things first,” Theo started, nodding. “Good. Always put your seat belt on. Check the instrument panel. Is everything in working order?”

“Yeah.”

“Ok. Start it.” He waited for her to turn the ignition on and then pointed towards the road. “Let’s go.” She drove slowly at first, making minor adjustments as he explained them to her. Theo glanced at her tense grip as they drove out of Beacon Hills. “Hmm, you don’t actually have to hold the steering wheel like that, you know?”

“But, I thought-”

“Here.” Theo reached over to adjust her grip, pushing one hand towards the top and the other holding the bottom. “See? It gives you more control. Plus, I find it more comfortable.”

“Oh.” She looked at him, “Did your parents teach you how to drive?”

He laughed, shaking his head. “No, they didn’t. At my previous school, there was a guy who had a truck like this one. He taught me how.”

Malia nodded, thinking, and then replying. “Do you miss your friends?”

“Yeah, kinda.” He chewed his bottom lip. “I mean, they were cool and all, but your friends know who you are. They’ll support you, no matter what, right? And you have Stiles, I mean, he’d do anything for his friends.” Theo didn’t need to fake the excitement that entered his voice when he talked about Stiles, or the spike in his pulse rate, or the fact that he was grinning just thinking about the Alpha Chimera. He could feel Malia watching him, slowing slightly.

“Do you like him?” She asked bluntly.

“Sure, I like all you guys.”

“No, I meant do _like_ him?”

“I, err, you already know the answer to that, I think.” He replied, smile playing around his lips, looking at his reflection in the window.

“Well why haven't you done something about it yet?”

“Heh, if only it were that easy.” Theo shook his head, wistfully. “He doesn't quite trust me yet. I doubt any of you do, it’s understandable, but...I'd never hurt him, or let him get hurt.”

“Hmm.” She pulled in along the side of the road, stopping so she could look at him properly. “Theo, he likes you, I can smell it when he's around you, same as I smell it from you. And Stiles...he needs encouragement. He has never gone out with anyone, ever. You just need to, you know, push!”

“A push? Are you suggesting...?”

“I can talk to him-”

“No! No! No, I mean, I can do it. It's just with everything going on, I'm not sure I can ask him out for dinner and a movie.” He shrugged. “That would be surreal, right?”

She just looked at him in response.

“I...I do like Stiles, but can you not say anything to him for right now? I need to figure out how to ask him out, I guess.” His tone was hopeful, scent a mix of apprehension and excitement. She nodded, and he directed her to pull out onto the road again.

“Have you been with many boys?” Malia asked, hearing the catch in his breath.

“Uh, no, not really. I mean, I know what to do,” He glanced at her, smirking as her cheeks heated-thinking of him and Stiles? Or just him? “But, uh, yeah, I've never had a boyfriend before.” _They just never seem to last._

“Oh.” She didn't say anything else and they sat in silence for a few minutes. Theo turned away from the window and glanced at the speed gauge. 

“We can go a little faster, if you want?”

“I'm doing the speed limit.”

He grinned and looked at her, “Nobody does the speed limit.”

She frowned and then put her foot down, speeding up a little, glancing back at him and returning his smile. 

“Better?” 

Malia nodded.

Theo sat back in his seat, looking ahead of them. He looked back at her as they began to pick up speed, seeing the needle twitch eighty. “Ok, I said a little faster, not Mach 5.” Malia didn't seem to hear him, and they kept going faster. “Malia? Are you ok?” She still didn't respond, her eyes fixed on some point in the distance. Theo growled softly and leaned over to try and wrest the steering wheel from her, but she twisted it and the truck swerved, causing Theo to be thrown against the passenger door. His head connected with a thud and he grunted. Shaking the stars from his eyes, Theo glared at her. “Malia, stop! Stop the car!”

Malia kept going, Theo shouted at her to stop, but he didn’t try to take the wheel again. “Malia! Stop the damn car! Malia?!”

She finally seemed to hear him and slammed on the brakes, pulling the truck into a skid, Theo grabbed the side of the door as they rattled to halt, feeling his belt tighten against him as he was thrown forward. “Fuck!” He looked up, the curse dying on his lips, as she flung open the door and ran into the oncoming lane. “Malia!” Theo moved around his truck to catch up with her, pausing as she crouched, immobile. He slowed to a walk, studying her thoughtfully. _What is she doing? How curious. Hardly the place but…_

 

“Now! You must do it now!” Valack demanded, gesturing at the recorder in Stiles’ hand.

“No. You’re not getting it!” Stiles barked back, losing his temper. Lydia glared at them both, and moved closer to Valack.

“What does the book do? Tell us and you’ll have your scream, I promise.”

“Tell us!” Stiles hammered on the window between them. Valack looked from one to the other, displeasure twisting his features.

“Very well. The book is a tool designed to trigger lost memories of the Dread Doctors in their victims. I wanted to see if there were others, not just me, who had seen them.”

Stiles stared at him, his own dreams of shadowy figures standing over him coming to mind; nightmares and memories melding together confusingly. “Did it work with anyone else?”

“No. Yes. Perhaps. The memories were to become clear to those that read the book, and they would then seek me out to learn more.” He shook his head, refusing to say anything else. “Lydia; you promised me.” 

Stiles looked at her, raising a brow. He was prepared to double-cross Valack, but she shook her head, taking the recorder from his hand. “Fine.” Stiles walked a little bit away from her, fingers in his ears until she came over to him, tugging on his arm.

“It’s done.”

“Good.” He looked up the hallway nervously. “Can we leave now?”

 

Theo walked closer to the crouching were-coyote. He had never seen this type of behaviour before; it was as though she was trapped in a memory, or perhaps reverting completely to her animalistic nature. The Dread Doctors had told him that she could transform into a coyote at will; a powerful talent that was rare among both the bitten and born supernaturals. He sniffed the air, but it didn’t reveal anything other than her normal scent. He stopped as the sound of engines reached his ears, a car was approaching them. “Malia?” He stooped behind her as lights lit up his face. “Malia, we gotta go! Malia! Look out!” 

_Oh fuck this!_ Theo grabbed her by the arms and threw himself to one side, dragging her with him onto the other side of the road, in front of his truck, the car rushing by, horn blaring. Malia seemed to awake as they hit the ground, gasping, tears running down her face, struggling to get away from him. He let her go and sat on the asphalt, frowning as she stood on the far side of the road. 

“It was her.” She whispered.

“What?”

“It was her. She was there.” Malia nodded to herself. Theo frowned, still not understanding.

“Who?

“The Desert Wolf.”

Malia didn’t say anything else and he stood up. “Malia? I should take you home.” He guided her back to the truck, his mind analysing her words. _The Desert Wolf? Hmm, I’ll see what they say tomorrow, at least tonight wasn’t a total bust._

 

Stiles glared at Lydia as she tried to get Valack to tell them more. “C’mon Lydia!”

“Tell us what they want!” 

“Lydia, I think we need to get outta here.” 

“What are they trying to do?” Lydia demanded, but Valack simply smiled at her.

“Lydia gotta go, now!” Stiles grabbed her by the arm and escorted her out, past the row of cells, hearing Valack’s final words echo down the corridor after them. 

“Read the book! Anyone who has had contact with them! READ THE BOOK!”

Stiles pushed Lydia against the wall of an open room, using his body to shield her, as he looked out the door. He heard the fizz and crackle as they passed, or at least, he assumed it was them, Stiles didn’t dare look. He could feel Lydia’s rapid pulse through the crushing grip she had on his hand. Stiles felt light-headed suddenly, his chest constrained as though his lungs were being squeezed tight, the uncomfortable sensation of sweat dripping down his skin forced him to stare at the white tiles across from them. He tried to measure his breathing, like he used to do with Scott when the werewolf got asthma attacks, when they were just kids. The sounds were gone, but Stiles wasn’t sure if they should move or not. He glanced at Lydia. She shook her head slowly. 

After what seemed like hours, though it was really just a few minutes, Stiles heard the crackling and hissing of their passing again. He counted to a hundred and then nodded at Lydia. “I think we…” He broke off as the power restarted. “We can move now.”

“I think we're alright. Stiles, it's ok.” 

“No, it’s not. None of this is okay. It's all nuts.” He brushed off her reassurance. His breath was short again, bile rising in his throat, but then suddenly the tightness vanished and he let out the air he was holding. “No, everything that's happened, everything that's gonna happen, it's our fault.”

“Stiles…” She looked at him, “It's our responsibility.”

Stiles nodded slowly, walking quickly from the room and up the stairs. He paused at the reception desk. “You go on out, I’ll get our stuff.” She agreed and headed outside as Stiles turned to find the desk empty. He slid across the counter and grabbed the carton that held their possessions. He picked up the scaffold pin and stared at it. _Throw it in the lake, Stiles._

_Yeah._

 

Theo stared at his phone, fingers tapping nervously on the screen. He and Stiles had exchanged numbers at the hospital after he saved Lydia, but he wasn’t sure if the Alpha Chimera had done that out of politeness when Theo had asked, or if he was actually serious about getting to know him. He’d never been nervous before; it was a disturbing feeling, a loss of control. He opened the messenger, tapping the keys quickly. _Hey Stiles, how are you?_ Theo groaned a little at the awkwardness of it, but pressed send quickly before he could talk himself out of it.

Stiles looked up as his phone vibrated nosily on his bedside table. He finished changing the bandage on his shoulder, still as awkward as before, but at least it didn’t sting as bad when it was covered in anti-septic cream. Stiles stood up, not bothering to put a t-shirt on; his Dad was working all night and there was no one else around who would notice his injury. He picked up the phone, frowning as he saw it was from Theo. “Hmm.” He tapped out a quick reply, curious as to what the Omega wanted. _I’m fine, I guess._

Theo stopped pacing his room as his phone beeped. He grabbed it, reading the short reply. “Ok, ok, um.” He paused for a moment, before responding.

Stiles stared at his phone. _Good, good. Malia said you were sick. I…I just wanted to see if you were ok?_ “What are the three dots for? What are you hesitating about Theo?” He muttered aloud, before typing a short reply, letting the Omega drive the direction of the conversation. _Thanks Theo._

Theo growled as he read Stiles’ message. “Fine. Fine! I’ll just ask you then!” _So, I was wondering if you were free tomorrow, and not, you know, single handily fighting the next great threat to Beacon Hills?_ Theo cringed internally at how it sounded, but he hoped it would make Stiles smile. At least if the teenager rejected him, he wouldn’t be there in person to suffer it.

“Oh my god,” Stiles muttered, staring at his phone. “Is he asking me out? I mean, ok, he’s crazy hot and I’ve wanted him since he got back.” He addressed his empty bedroom, sitting on the side of his bed, phone on his thigh. “But, do I trust him? I mean…you said it yourself Stiles, he hasn’t killed anyone, you have. Oh, thank you for that, brain, great reminder.” He looked at the phone again. “There’s a connection though, the way he looks at me, I’ve never felt anything like that. Plus,” Stiles added slowly as he warmed to the idea. “I might finally have a werewolf boyfriend! Ok, Theo Raeken, I’m in!”

Theo startled as his phone beeped again. He felt a grin spread across his face as he saw the reply. _Even super-badasses like me need some R &R. I’m in, Theo. Where are we going?_ The chimera felt his stomach clench eagerly as he thought for a moment and then started messaging Stiles again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Having some weird editing issues with the italics; hence the delay. Sorry about that.


	6. Version of Normality

“So, new chimeras, huh?” Stiles muttered as his father shrugged. The Sheriff had just finished explaining about the holes that his deputies had found the night before. Stiles folded his arms, looking past his Dad towards the two pinned pictures of Tracy and Lucas, the steam rising from coffees he and Malia had brought, sitting forgotten on the desk. The Sheriff picked up a red pen and crossed out Tracy’s picture. “Looks like Valack was right after all.”

“It seems so.” His father sighed. “Chimeras…” 

Malia moved forward to inspect the pictures, but Stiles held back. He didn’t want to appear too eager. _Gotta be careful, Stiles. But still, you should say something._ “Two dead chimeras-”

“And eight new ones.” Malia finished for him.

“So…” He trailed off as his phone buzzed in his pocket. Stiles fished it out as the Sheriff moved over to his desk. It was Theo. _You still on for this morning?_

 _Yeah, with my Dad and Malia now, see you later._ He typed the reply quickly as his father straightened up with another picture in his hand.

“I'm thinking maybe eleven.” The Sheriff pinned up Donovan's picture to the wall. Stiles felt his stomach drop uncomfortably and his chest tightened at the sight of his attacker. He noticed Malia glance at him and willed his pulse to return to normal. “The tech guys have confirmed that both the holding cell doors and the cameras malfunctioned due to the same electro-magnetic interference. They can’t explain it, other than it being some sort of rare atmospheric event.”

“It’s the Dread Doctors.” Malia showed him the book as the Sheriff raised a brow.

“We’re really calling them that?”

“Yes!” Malia stood beside him again as they spoke about Donovan’s escape. Stiles felt unease grip him and even though he managed to control his heart rate around Malia, he walked away from them. He shut his eyes as the images from that night came rushing back to him; the blitz attack at first, running through the school, the metal bar driven through the chimera’s torso… 

“Is Donovan a failed chimera, like Tracy and Lucas? Is that why he hasn’t been seen again?” Malia wondered aloud, reaching up to cross his picture out. The Sheriff stopped her, shaking his head.

“I can’t believe Donovan is dead until I see a body. For now, he’s missing or he ran away.” He glanced back at Stiles, frowning at his son’s unusual silence. 

_Yeah, you'll be waiting on that one, Dad._ Stiles pressed his lips together and stared at the floor. What was he doing? How could he even think about going out with Theo after what he had done? He got flashes of it all the time; the fight, Donovan's death, but it was as though his mind was working hard to suppress the memories and reduce the horror of what had happened. What he had done. Should he feel relieved that the body was gone, taken by the same person or creature who took the others? Or was it part of a larger conspiracy, ready to be unleashed against him at his most vulnerable moment? 

“You're uncharacteristically quiet.” His father and Malia were staring at him.

“What? Oh. Uh,” Stiles blinked and stopped rubbing his hands against the other, glancing back at them. “Um, sorry, I was just...I'm trying to think about it.” He moved closer to them, trying to appear his normal self. “These are all teenagers, right? So, shouldn't we be trying to figure out why _these_ teenagers?” 

“Right,” The Sheriff nodded slowly. “What makes them special?”

“Why were they chosen? And why did the Dread Doctors go to so much trouble, if all they were going to do in the end was kill them?” Stiles stared at the three pictures. “Why are they doing this?”

 

Stiles pulled into the drive alongside his Dad’s police cruiser. But unlike most mornings, he disappeared upstairs immediately, leaving his father to cremate the toast. He glanced at himself in the mirror, running an eye up and down what he was wearing. When Malia called over just after dawn, Stiles had rolled out of bed and grabbed the nearest thing to wear. But he was going to meet Theo in less than an hour; he could do better than a green hoodie…

The Sheriff looked inside his son’s room; the normally messy bed was now piled high with discarded clothes. He frowned and leaned on the doorframe as Stiles crawled back out of the closet, muttering darkly. 

“Where the fuck…I thought, it was right here!” Stiles grumbled under his breath. There was a sharp cough behind him and he tried to stand up to see who it was, succeeding only in banging his head off the interior shelf. “Ow! What the-” The swear word died on his lips as he saw his father standing in the door way. Stiles rubbed his head distractedly. “What?”

“What are you doing?”

“Looking for something to wear.” He replied as though it was obvious.

“What's wrong with all that?” The Sheriff gestured at the piles on the bed. “Or what you’re wearing right now?”

“I…it’s a lot of flannel, ok?” His father raised a brow. “I’m meeting someone, I’m making an effort, alright?”

“Sure.” The Sheriff answered slowly. “What about school?”

“We both have the morning off. Well, I’ve free periods in the afternoon too, but. The point is, I’m looking for something that isn’t a flannel shirt.” Stiles rooted around in the pile, pulling up a grey zip-up, looked quizzically at it and then threw it behind him. “No.”

“So,” The Sheriff started. “Who is she?”

“Uh.” Stiles blinked and looked at him, feeling his ears heat. “Um, it’s a guy. You don’t know him.” _He is totally not on my evidence board as a potential suspect. I should probably get rid of that…_

The Sheriff stared at him, not saying anything. He shook his head once and then opened his mouth. “Stiles? I thought we had this discussion? You know, back when Jackson was the Kanima and you and Scott and Danny-”

“What?” Stiles broke in, then paused as he remembered what his Dad had said to him on that occasion. “You were wrong. And you shouldn’t judge people based on what they wear, Dad!”

The Sheriff let out an exasperated breath and pointed. “There. Wear the red hoodie.”

“Right, right, and the grey t-shirt. Black jeans?” He nodded to himself. “Thanks.”

“Just…enjoy yourself, Stiles.” The Sheriff left the room, muttering as he went “I hope it goes better than mine did.”

 

Theo waited outside the coffee shop, hands stuffed into his pockets as he scanned the people walking up and down the street for Stiles. Part of him was already regretting this; it wasn’t how he was used to operating. _Why don’t we just take him? Like we already have?_ He frowned and ignored the whisper in his mind, instead locking onto the sight of Stiles’ Jeep parking down the street. It was true that he had already enjoyed Stiles’ body, but the memories of that night were…strange, he didn’t feel guilty, of course. But there was still something about it that unnerved him. He wanted to have Stiles like that again, but he wanted it to be more legitimate this time. He wanted Stiles to enjoy it, to suck him or jerk him off because it was his choice, not because he was forced. 

Theo looked up as Stiles’ scent reached him, the sweet, sharp tang that was his smell, and the notes of what had been unleashed were there too. _Tastes like purple._ The chimera thought as a tingle rushed across his skin. He smiled as Stiles came closer to him, genuinely pleased to see him. “Hey!”

“Hi, Theo. I didn’t mean to keep you waiting, I just-”

“No, no, it’s ok.” Theo broke in, eyes meeting Stiles’. “You look great.”

“Oh, uh, thanks.” Stiles blinked and swept his gaze over Theo; from the perfectly spiked hair to his clean-shaven cheeks, down across the light pullover that hinted at the strong body underneath. He swallowed hard. “You look, uh, good. Mmh.”

Theo chuckled and gestured behind him. “So, I was thinking we might start easy: get a coffee, maybe go for a walk? I reckon there’s a lot you want to ask me?”

“You could say the same.” Stiles replied, but he nodded. “It sounds good, I’m pretty different than when we were friends before, err.” He moistened his lips, stopping himself.

“Before my sister died?” Theo’s lips twitched. “I guess. But I do want to know you.”

Stiles felt his heart skip a beat and smiled. “Let’s do it.”

 

“Assassins, an Alpha pack, _and_ crazy druids?” Theo shook his head as Stiles finished talking. “That’s insane, how did all that happen to you guys?”

“I know, when I say it all together…” Stiles shrugged, smirking. Theo’s eyes hadn’t left him for the entire time he had been talking, sitting side by side on the grass in the middle of the town square. The sun was shining, so Theo had suggested they walk around outside. Stiles had readily agreed, especially after the werewolf had pulled off his sweatshirt, revealing his muscular arms constrained only by a tight fitting white t-shirt. He glanced at those arms now, wrapped around Theo’s knees. “So, um, did you move around a lot after…it?”

“Uh, not really, we only moved when my Dad got a promotion, or like now, when I heard about you, and Scott.” Theo raised a brow at him. “You can say it, you know? She died by accident, alone, out in the forest.” He shook his head vigorously as though there was water in his ears. “I don’t think about it much, it’s like it happened to someone else.”

“Do you remember it? That time?”

“Not really, that whole year is a blur.” Theo dropped one hand and started to pluck the grass absently. “It’s probably for the best, becoming a werewolf is the only good thing to have happened to me since we left Beacon Hills.”

“And now that you’re back?” Stiles asked, studying Theo’s face. The Omega blinked and looked at him, smiling.

“Isn’t that obvious?” He chuckled, and placed his hand gently on Stiles’, as though he expected him to pull away.

“Uh,” Stiles stammered, blushing. “I’ve only, I haven’t, I’ve only been with one guy.” He admitted, avoiding Theo’s gaze.

“Yeah, uh, I’ve been with a few.”

 _Of course you have, with a body like that!_ Stiles nodded to himself, but looked up sharply as Theo continued.

“But I’ve never had a boyfriend, so, don’t sweat it. If you want to take things slow…?”

Stiles started to shake his head, but stopped as he saw Theo’s smirk. “Wait, are you-” 

Theo didn’t give him a chance to finish and instead dived on top of him, mock wrestling with him and pushing Stiles onto his back. “Haha, seriously Stiles?” 

“What? I thought you might be…” He trailed off, protests dying on his lips as Theo let him sit back up, his hands resting lightly on Stiles’ shoulder and neck. He leaned in closer until their faces were inches apart. The teenager closed his eyes as Theo tilted his head.

The chimera paused above Stiles, he could practically feel all that untapped power hiding beneath the surface of the Alpha Chimera’s perfect skin. Theo moved in further and kissed him lightly on the lips, but pulled back almost immediately. Stiles’ eyes blinked open confusedly. “What?”

“Nothing. I just,” He glanced around, seeing a mother and her toddler walking by them. “I’d prefer to wait until we’re alone.”

“You trying to rock my world, Theo Raeken?” Stiles asked, smirking. “You have a really hot lacrosse player to beat, just so you know!”

“Oh? Was his…stick firm?”

“Very. Hard and long.” Stiles felt his cheeks heat, he wiped a bead of sweat from his upper lip, seeing Theo bite his lip. “Hmm, what’s my competition?”

“None of them could ever match you.” Theo replied in a low growl, “You’re perfect.”

Stiles stared at him, lips parted, but the werewolf seemed to pull himself together and stood up. “Are we going somewhere?”

Theo nodded, “Yeah. Ice cream.”

“Cool.”

The chimera reached out to pull Stiles up, reluctantly releasing his hand as the Alpha stood up, a wave of possessiveness washing unexpectedly over him. _The things I will do to you, Stiles…_

“Are you ok?” Stiles touched his arm and Theo nodded, gesturing back towards the main street. “So, do you have much in the afternoon?”

“Uh, kinda, just Pre-calculus.” Theo replied, grateful for the conversation to return to more normal topics. “You?”

“Free periods.”

“Oh.” Theo pulled out his wallet and shook his head when Stiles did the same. “No, I got it. Do you like strawberry or chocolate?”

 

“I’m heading this way,” Theo gestured down the hall. “I had a good time today.”

“Me too.” Stiles smiled at him, his pulse racing. He knew Theo could hear it, the werewolf was probably fully aware that Stiles had been half-hard the entire journey back to the school too. He moved closer to Theo, and was surprised when the werewolf leaned in and hugged him. Stiles returned the gesture, his hands moving over Theo’s smooth, muscular arms as he did so. 

Theo pulled back, grinning. “I’ll text you later, Stiles.”

“Ok. Um, bye.” Stiles watched him leave. _What? No kiss? You’re not embarrassed, are you Theo?_

 

Theo pulled his sweatshirt back on as Scott walked over to him. “Scott.”

“Hey, Theo. You got a minute?”

“Sure.” Theo looked up as the werewolf stood next to him, normalising his scent and smoothing his expression. “What is it?”

“Do you remember the book I showed you yesterday?”

“Uh, yeah. _The Dread Doctors_ , right?” 

“That’s it.” Scott nodded. “Valack said that people who were affected by them wouldn’t remember it, but they might be behaving differently.”

“So basically, we're looking for abnormal behaviour?” Theo asked, brows furrowed. 

“Anyone acting a little off, or a little weird, yeah.” Scott replied, glancing at him, seeing Theo frown. “What’s wrong?”

“Well, isn't everyone a little weird in high school?” He muttered, looking around him at the other students. “It’s kinda like the perfect place to hide chimeras.”

“Yeah,” Scott conceded. “Good point.”

Theo followed the Alpha downstairs, speaking as they walked, “You know that Tracy went on a rampage after reading that book, right?”

“Do you think it's a bad idea to read it?”

“Maybe.” Theo shrugged, “I think Malia almost getting run down could have been a bad thing, and she was pretty deep into reading it.”

Scott frowned, “When was this?”

“Last night.” He explained, “I met her in the library, offered her some extra driving lessons if she wanted it. Then we were driving and there was...it was like she just locked up and didn't seem to hear me. She stopped the car, jumped out, and ran towards the oncoming traffic.” Scott was staring at him now, and Theo continued to talk. “It was close, but I managed to pull her outta the way.”

“Lucky.” Scott nodded, then frowned. “Why would you offer to teach her anyway? Wait, are you interested in her?”

“Uh,” Theo stared at him. “Scott? I thought you knew?”

“Huh?” The Alpha shrugged, confused.

“AP Bio? You didn't overhear me turning Kailey down?” He shrugged at Scott who slowly nodded.

“Oh, right.”

“Yeah, so I'm not interested in Malia like that. Only guys.”

“Um, ok, yeah.” Scott nodded, cleared his throat and then changed the subject abruptly, “We need to read the book; we have to finish it.”

“Scott?” Theo shook his head, incredulous, “I came here to find a pack, not watch one fall apart!”

“It's all we got.” He half smiled. Theo didn't reply, just kept walking across the quad. As they reached the entrance to the building, he stopped. “You know, you should probably read it too, Theo.”

“What? Are you sure?”

“Yeah.” The Alpha nodded, “Come to my house after school this evening, we'll just get it done together. You know where I live, right?”

“Uh huh, I think so. Give me your number in case I get lost.” Theo handed him his phone and stood by while Scott entered his number. “Thanks. I’ll see you this evening.” _For all the good it’ll do me…_ He watched the Alpha leave; slowly, but surely, he was getting closer to gaining the werewolf’s trust, and soon, his power.

 

Stiles opened the door to him and Theo smiled a little, brushing past close enough to send a delicious shiver across his skin. “Theo.”

“Stiles.” He looked around him to see the others gathered in a circle around Scott’s coffee table, the copies of the Dread Doctor book strewn across it. “Hey guys.”

“You found it ok?” Scott asked, absently checking his phone.

“No problems, thanks.” Theo closed the door as Stiles walked back to the table.

Stiles glanced up when Theo moved to stand beside him, his lips twitching into an almost smile as Theo openly grinned at him. “So, you ready to see a dark twisted vision of things that have already come to pass?”

“Not funny, Stiles.” Lydia muttered. 

“Yeah, I nearly died yesterday.” Malia glared at him.

“Ok, ok, sorry. Just trying to lighten the mood.” The teenager shrugged. Stiles glanced at Theo who had remained silent, chewing on his bottom lip. “Hey, it’s just a book, Theo.”

“Yeah, but Malia’s right, it caused her to run into traffic.” He looked at Stiles, seeming to be worried, or afraid even. “What if that happens to us?”

“Or worse.” Stiles muttered in reply.

“Like what happened to Judy.” Malia added morosely. They all stared at her. “Chapter Fourteen, ugh!” 

“Great, I feel better already,” Stiles grumbled under his breath. 

“That’s why we’re all here together.” Scott held out his hands, “Ok, everyone get a grip, we need to make sure we’re all, well, not chimeras.”

“Yes.” Lydia nodded. “I think…I think I saw them during my surgery. I can only get glimpses of them; they were shadowy, just shapes that resolved into focus for half a second before becoming fuzzy again.” Stiles felt a chill run down his spine as she described the memory, it sounded close to his own; yet those images always shifted between one person and several. Theo looked at him, perhaps smelling his unease. Stiles flicked his gaze towards him when he thought he heard the tiniest of whines coming from the werewolf's throat. Or maybe not, the others didn't appear to have heard him, and Lydia was still talking. “...When I look at the cover of the book, it's like-”

“A memory trying to surface,” Theo finished for her. _But she hadn't been turned, had she?_ He frowned, the Dread Doctors hadn’t told him which of the human members of the pack had been altered, but then they had just created eight new chimeras without informing him either. Theo blinked as Stiles bent over to grab two stacks of photo-copied pages, handing one set to him. He nodded his thanks and they sat down on the couch, a little close together, but not too obvious. Theo moved around, as though to get comfortable. 

Stiles felt a tingle rush across his skin and dive into his crotch as Theo pressed against him; thigh, leg, arm, shoulders. _You have got to be kidding me, Raeken! How am I meant to concentrate with your hot, hunky body around?! Ooooh, but those arms Stiles, and man, imagine what his pecs must look…no! Concentrate! Chapter One…oh come on, now his hand is brushing against mine!_

Theo could feel Stiles' heart beating a little faster, his scent growing sharper and more delicious; his Alpha Chimera powers coming into focus again. The chimera blinked, feeling a strange energy fizzle across his skin, as though his strength was increased just by being beside Stiles. Although that was the point, wasn’t it? The closer he was to the Alpha Chimera; the more powerful Stiles was. _It’s odd though, I don’t feel compelled to do anything. I know he wants to kiss me, and he’s already super horny, but he’s not making me satisfy him. Maybe, maybe the Doctors are right that he needs to be tested._ Theo opened the book and scanned the first page. He didn't really need to read it, though, did he? He could see the Dread Doctors clearly enough.

 

Stiles looked up at the clock above Scott’s fireplace and yawned, flipping another page over. “Chapter Three…” He sighed, hearing it echoed by Kira across from him. She seemed to be having particular difficulty with the book. 

Theo checked his phone again, drawing a frown from Stiles. “Sorry,” He muttered and leaned a little more heavily against the teenager, but Stiles flinched slightly as Theo pressed against his injured shoulder. _How did Valack manage to make this dull?_ Theo wondered to himself as he re-read the same sentence for the third time. 

Scott looked around the room, “Anyone feeling anything yet?”

“Tired.” Kira replied.

“Hungry.” Lydia added.

“I think he meant the book.” Theo said, grinning. Stiles rolled his eyes. 

“Coffee. We need coffee, possibly snacks.” He got up, glancing at the Omega, “Are you gonna-”

"I'll help you." Malia interjected quickly and together they went into the kitchen. As she was waiting for the water to boil, she leant in closer. “So, how did your date go?”

“What date?”

“You know,” She inclined her head at Theo. “Well?”

Stiles rested against the counter, frowning. “How did you know?”

“He asked about you; said he really liked you. But I wasn’t sure if he’d actually get up the courage to ask you out.” Malia looked at him. “I offered to ask for him.”

“You, you, what?” Stiles spluttered, “How could you offer that? No, no, I don’t want to know.”

“So?”

“Err.” Stiles looked down. "It was nice. Um."

“Nice?” She echoed, looking somewhat disappointed.

"We got coffee, talked, walked around, you know, nice." He replied, left hand snaking around to rub his injured shoulder distractedly. Malia looked at him, concerned, nostrils flaring as she breathed in.

“What did you do to your shoulder?”

“Huh?” He controlled his voice well, keeping the tone measured, even as his pulse sped up slightly. Stiles pulled his hand away however. “What are you talking about?”

“I can smell the blood.”

“Uh,” Stiles broke eye contact with her, looking at the back of Theo’s head _And you didn’t smell anything, huh?_ There was the uncomfortable sensation of blood trickling down his back; the wound must have opened again. Malia was still waiting for him to explain. “Oh, it was nothing. Jeep died again and I had to go into the engine to check on it. Damn hood slipped and fell on me." He glanced at her, noticing that tell-tale sign of her trying to hear his heart. But it was even, normal, to the point he almost believed that was what had happened. Not the blood…not Donovan.

Theo frowned to himself, filing everything he had heard away for later. Was that a tendril of worry that inched into his gut? Would the Alpha Chimera heal as fast as the rest of them, or did he not get that power too? Theo felt Stiles’ attention on him, and forced himself to relax, flipping a page as he pretended to keep reading.

“So, what happened to you last night?” Stiles asked, trying to change the subject. “Theo told me that you had some sort of vision?”

“Yeah. I saw the accident, the crash.”

“Saw it, or re-lived it?”

“I was there.” Malia replied shortly.

“Was it just the crash, nothing else?” Stiles pressed.

“Nothing.” She responded with a shake of her head after a pause. “Coffee is ready.”

“Great.” Stiles grabbed two cups and went back to Theo, grinning at him as the werewolf looked up at him. “Here.”

“Thanks.” Theo accepted it, his fingers brushing against Stiles’. He took a mouthful, muttering, “I don’t know though, I’m still feeling wrecked.”

“Yeah.”

“Are you ok? I didn’t realise you were injured.”

“Oh. You heard that, huh?” Stiles replied woodenly. “I’m fine.”

“Hmm.” Theo grunted, not believing him. “If you say so.”

 

The clock struck midnight with a soft chime and Theo's eyes flicked open, he looked around the room slowly, listening to the steady heartbeats of the others as they slept. He glanced to one side, seeing Stiles' head resting on his shoulder. He smiled a little and carefully moved the Alpha Chimera to one side, cautious not to wake him. Stiles muttered sleepily, Theo froze; but then he settled and the chimera stood up. Moving closer to Scott, he frowned as Kira spoke in her sleep; the same words over and over. But unlike Stiles, it was clearer, even if he didn’t understand the language. He knelt, pulling out his phone to record the words. _Interesting. Is this something unique to her, or something related to her as a Kitsune? Maybe I can use this…_ Theo stood back up after a moment and slipped his phone back into his pocket. _Now is as good a time as any._ He walked over to the stairs, pausing to look at them again, making sure they were asleep. The chimera climbed the stairs slowly and made his way through the rooms until he entered Scott’s open door. Theo stood in the center of the room, looking around. It was neat, and normal, nothing here that he could use. _Wait! What’s that on the table?_ Theo frowned, walking over to pick up the Alpha’s inhaler, giving it a quick shake. _Empty, or near to it. Why keep it? Some sentimental reminder of your human life, Scott?_ Theo felt a sly smile spread across his features as an idea formed in his mind. He dismissed it quickly however, placing the medicine back where he had found it.

Stiles woke with a start, the sea of bloodied faces that crowded his dream fading fast. He turned over from where he had been holding a nearby cushion. “Theo-” He broke off when he saw the werewolf had disappeared. Stiles frowned and sat up, running his hands across his face. There was a creak on the stairs and he looked up to see Theo returning. “Where were you? I thought you’d gone home.”

“Without saying goodbye?” He smirked. “Nah, had to pee.” 

“Oh.” Stiles glanced at the book. “Did you get far?”

“Chapter twelve. It's boring though.” He complained, sitting down again.

“I'm not sure gory descriptions of supernatural surgeries are what I'd call boring,” Stiles muttered, but Theo shrugged.

“I don't know, maybe hard to read is better? You get any further?”

“No.” He gestured at the rest of the pack, sleeping. “I don't think we're going to be reading anymore tonight though.”

“Fine by me.” Theo smiled at him. Stiles felt his heart flutter and saw Theo's brows shoot up. “Uh, do want me to take you home, if you're too tired?”

“No.” Stiles shook his head. “Come back here.” Theo sat down beside him and looked at him. Stiles glanced away, clearing his throat. “Everyone is here, I don't...”

“It's ok,” Theo replied leaning closer to him. Stiles blinked at the action but mirrored it as their heads touched. Theo took his hand in his own and Stiles' eyes began to droop again. He could feel Theo's strong rhythmic pulse under his fingers, easing him off to sleep.

 

“Have you guys felt anything? Because I haven’t.” Kira asked, as she joined Stiles and Scott.

“Nope.” Stiles shook his head. “I don’t think it’s working.”

“No, maybe it didn't work because we need to have some sort of trigger. Like what happened with Malia's driving.” Scott offered.

“How are we meant to trigger a memory that we don't remember?” 

"Well, it might be a delayed thing? Maybe you have to wait a couple of hours to see what happens?” Scott asked uncertainly as Stiles sighed in response.

“Great.”

They looked up as the lights flickered on and off, before Scott and Stiles turned and stared at Kira. She shrugged helplessly, “It wasn’t me. I swear.”

Stiles frowned suspiciously at her, but his attention was caught by Theo standing by his locker, pulling out books. “I'll, uh-”

“We need to look out for each other.” Scott broke in, “The book's effects might have already started, we just don't know it yet.”

“Yeah, yeah. But we should also keep an eye out for the eight potentially homicidal chimeras that are wandering around Beacon Hills too.”

“And we should look out for the Dread Doctors.” Kira pointed out.

“I'm beginning to see the appeal of a third eye...” Stiles muttered as Scott and Kira peeled off towards their AP Biology class. He walked over to Theo. “Hey, Theo. How are you?”

“I'm good. You sleep well after that?”

“Yeah.” Stiles frowned at the dark rings under the werewolf's eyes, “Looks like you didn't though.”

“Not really, early start.”

“You were gone when I woke up. I didn't drool on you, did I?” Stiles asked with a smile.

"No, you were really cute.” Theo laughed shortly and pulled out the remainder of his books as the bell rang. “I've got class now, but do you want to have lunch together?”

“Yeah.” Stiles nodded eagerly. “I'm free in the afternoon. You?”

“Uh, no, not really. I was gonna work out after lunch, maybe get started on my Precal homework. You wanna meet up tonight instead?” He added, walking towards the classroom slowly.

“Look, Theo,” Stiles started, touching the werewolf's arm, “I know with the Dread Doctors and the book and everything, that this…but, uh, I was just gonna say, yeah, we should do something this evening.”

“Cool.” Theo smiled at him and leaned over, kissing him on the cheek. Stiles' scent shifted suddenly to surprise and Theo smirked at him. “Later!”

 

Theo slid into his seat just as Mrs. Finch came into the room. He couldn't hide the grin that was spreading across his face. Stiles' reaction had been perfect; the right level of distraction between horniness and fear of the Doctors. Scott turned to frown at him, but Theo just grinned back. 

“Ok, then. Invasive species.” The teacher looked around the classroom, her eyes landing on him. “Theo? Can you explain what invasive species are, based on last night's reading?”

“Yes.”

“Well?”

“So,” He smiled, leaning back on his stool. “An invasive species is a plant or animal-or fungus-that isn't native to a particular area, i.e. an introduced species. It has a tendency to spread prolifically throughout the area, damaging or destroying native species to establish itself as the dominant plant or animal or fungus in that area. It generally starts off as a good idea, before its creators lose control and the animal-or plant, or fungus- runs rampant and kills everything in sight.”

“Err, yes. Good, comprehensive answer. And since you're so knowledgeable about it, can you tell us about an example?” She looked at him expectantly.

“Well,” He shrugged as though thinking, but given his unusual good mood Theo indulged himself a little. _It was a terrible experiment, and the chimera was a monster, but the idea was good._ “I do like the example of the Brown Tree Snake in Guam. There was plenty of prey to sustain it and it caused widespread destruction and upset to the local vertebrate species, as well as untold harm to the human residents of the island.” He grinned as he finished while everyone else stared at him.

The teacher recovered first, nodding. “Uh, yes. That's a reasonable example. It wasn't in the reading though.”

“I know. I did a project on invasive species in my last school.”

“Oh. I see.” She moved away from him and back towards the top of the class. “Another example of a feral species, or invasive species, is that of the Cane toad in Australia...”

Theo looked down as his phone lit up. Lydia had sent him a message: _Chimera?_ He frowned, looking up to see Lydia incline her head towards Sydney. The chimera looked at the girl, busy scratching her head. His eyes widened slightly as she pulled out a clump of hair, and he quickly replied _Look at her hair._

“...And, like Theo said, once an invasive species is introduced, everything changes.” Mrs. Finch finished her explanation as Sydney stood up suddenly, dropping a "Course Drop" form on the teacher's desk. “A wise decision Sydney.”

 

Theo looked up as Sydney rushed back into the classroom, pale and flustered. “Come quick! You have to come, she's fainted!” He stood up quickly as he and Scott raced out of the room, the teacher's protests falling on deaf ears. The chimera kept back as Scott knelt beside Lydia, curious to hear what she had seen, but careful not to appear too eager.

“Lydia, are you ok?” Scott asked gently as he held her quivering hand.

“I'm ok. I'm fine.” She assured them. 

Theo leant in over Scott's shoulder. “You remembered something. What was it?”

“Not about the Dread Doctors, nothing about them or their surgery.” Lydia looked away from them. Theo frowned, but it was Scott who pressed her.

“What was it?” They helped her up onto a chair.

“My grandmother. At Eichen House.”

Theo and Scott slipped past Mrs Martin and walked in silence back to AP Bio. Theo sat down and let his mind drift as the teacher droned on about invasive species, barely noticing as she handed out the assignment for the weekend.

 

“Damn.” Stiles looked down at his phone. “Lydia wants to go to the hospital to check something out. Do you mind?”

“No, it’s cool.” Theo shrugged, finishing his sandwich. “Um, I need to go work out anyway, so, feel free. I’ll walk you out though?”

Stiles nodded and they walked towards the parking lot. “You were there when it happened?”

“Lydia’s reaction? No, just afterwards.” Theo stopped as Stiles hopped into his Jeep. “She fainted, but said her memory, or vision, or whatever wasn’t about the Dread Doctors. Maybe she hit her head?”

“No, I don’t think it’s that…” Stiles muttered as he twisted the key. “C’mon, c’mon!” The Jeep didn’t start however and Theo walked around to the open door.

“Problems?”

“It’s the alternator. Again.”

“Hey, take it easy.” Theo reached out to take Stiles’ hand, clasping it in his own. “There’s plenty more things to be stressed about.”

Stiles glared at him. “Thanks, I feel so much better.” He brushed Theo away and pulled the hood back. “Let’s see…”

“Stiles.” Theo started, touching his shoulder, but the Alpha Chimera hissed in pain. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Just my shoulder. It’s nothing.” He added quickly as Theo looked at him concerned. “I’m fine, really.”

“Uh huh.” 

Theo’s eyes were heavy on him and Stiles turned to take his hand again. “Look, it’s just a scratch, it’ll go away. I don’t have werewolf healing powers, remember?”

 _You don’t have any powers, by the looks of it._ Theo grumbled internally, but he nodded and glanced around, before leaning in and kissing Stiles gently. The Alpha Chimera was surprised by his move, but after a moment he relaxed, letting his lips part and their tongues collided. Theo felt a shiver run across his skin as Stiles raised his hands to rest against his shoulders, thumbs brushing against the chimera’s neck. He was beginning to get into it when there was a polite cough from behind them. Theo pulled away, glancing around to see Lydia staring at them. Stiles immediately blushed. 

“Uh, um, uh.”

“Hi Lydia,” Theo spoke for him, “I better go.” He smiled at Stiles and squeezed his hand before he left. The teenager looked at him in panic.

“I, uh, I, Theo!” Stiles sighed as the werewolf walked away from him. _Well shit._ “So, Lydia…”

“We’re not going in that.” She gestured at the Jeep.

“What? What’s wrong with it?”

“It breaks down every two miles, Stiles. We’ll take my car.” Lydia added firmly. They managed to walk around to her coupe before she brought it up. “So, you and Theo, hmm?”

 _Kill. Me. Now._ Stiles shut his eyes. 

 

“Twenty.” Theo muttered under his breath, sweat running down his face, his jacket sticking to his back uncomfortably. He unzipped it and pulled it off, dropping it beside his bag as he walked over to the next piece of equipment on his circuit. His ears perked as he heard someone coming down the corridor, frowning as he waited for their scent to reach him. “Four. Malia?” He whispered, glancing up into the mirror as the door opened behind him.

“Why didn't you tell them?” She asked him after a momentary pause, taking in his appearance.

“About what?” Theo puffed as he kept counting internally. He put down the barbell as he reached ten, switching it out for the dumbbells beside him. She watched him, curious, he could almost see the cogs turning in her brain, but Theo kept his scent innocent, his face honest, if somewhat confused. He had only reached five when she spoke again.

“The rest of my memory.” Malia moved to stand in front of him as he put down the dumbbells. “Why didn't you tell the others about the Desert Wolf?”

“Huh?” He frowned as he sat down at the butterfly press. “What are you talking about?”

“The Desert Wolf, when I had my memory. You told Scott that I had the flashback, but why didn't you tell him about the Desert Wolf?”

“I didn't think it mattered. It doesn't mean anything to me.” He shrugged, _It still doesn’t…yet._ “Why? Who is it?”

“No one important.”

“But important enough that you don't want me to tell Scott and Stiles about it, huh?” Theo continued to work out as Malia stared at him with a calculated look. She reached out and grabbed the butterfly press and held the weight in place. “What the hell?!” Theo exclaimed angrily as he struggled to continue to move the arms. Malia held firm, frowning at him. Theo stopped trying to move, holding his arms taut instead. “What?”

“What do you think you're doing? Are you expecting a favour in return?”

“No.” He looked insulted, modifying his scent so it reflected his unease and anger. “I don't need any favours. Now let go!”

“Then what do you want, Theo?” She demanded furiously, “Why are you here?”

He dropped his eyes, avoiding hers, “I just want in the pack, like I told you. I want some real friends who know what it's like to be different. I don't want to be alone anymore.”

Malia didn't say anything in reply, releasing the arms of the press instead, not realising that it would snap back so hard. 

“Ah!” Theo dropped his hands and rubbed his chest muscles, glaring at her. 

She turned on her heel, pausing at the door to glance at him. “Sorry.”

Theo stared after her. _Some temper. That could do with being channelled better. I need to figure out who this Desert Wolf is though._ His thoughts were interrupted by his phone buzzing. He reached out to grab it, smirking at Stiles’ message. _At hospital now, sorry about earlier. Lydia’s surprised, but cool. See you later._ Theo was tempted to fill him in on what just happened; it might give him room enough to pull even closer to Stiles. Then he looked down at his muscular body, glistening in sweat and a different idea came to him. Theo grinned as he posed in the mirror, snapping pictures with his camera. When he was satisfied, he sent one in reply to Stiles. _Hey, just working out, do you think the weights are paying off?_ He laughed and imagined Stiles’ face when he got it.

 

Theo flipped the water off, the suds washing away down the drain. He grabbed a nearby towel and walked into the locker room, stopping when he saw Scott sitting on the bench. “Uh, hi.” 

“Hey.” Scott was staring at an asthma inhaler in his hands. 

“You ok?” Theo asked as he towelled himself dry, moving towards his bag.

“Not really.” Scott muttered, “I had an asthma attack earlier. Couldn’t breathe, thought for a moment I was going to die.”

“What?” Theo stopped drying his body. “How did that happen? You’re a werewolf. The Alpha!”

“I don't know. Must have been the memory hitting me.” Scott glanced at him as the chimera pulled on his trunks and walked over to his locker for the rest of his clothes. “Psychosomatic thing...”

Theo shrugged and belted his pants. “Uh huh.”

“Did you want to talk about something?”

“No, uh, it can wait.” Theo shook his head and pulled on his t-shirt. 

“No, no, it's ok. What's up?”

 _Vulnerable, easier to manipulate. Time to strike. Better to let him trip over his own legs though. Let’s see if we can push._ Theo nodded and pulled out his phone. “Uh, last night, when everyone was asleep I woke up- bathroom. But, um, I overheard Kira talking in her sleep and I, uh, recorded her.” 

“What?” Scott barked at him.

“I was curious, I wanted to know what she was saying, especially as she kept repeating it.”

Scott frowned, unnerved, but nodded. “Go on.”

“So, basically she's saying ‘I am the messenger of death.’ Does that mean anything to you?”

Scott sighed. “Yeah. I've seen her fox spirit lately, it's like it's taking over her rather than just being a part of her. I'm worried.”

“I don't know anything about this Scott, she’s the only Kitsune I’ve ever met.” Theo shrugged apologetically, secretly fascinated by it. _She sounds like a most interesting test subject..._ Aloud he said, “But that doesn't sound good. If Kira is getting unreliable...I mean, Stiles told me about Eichen House and-” He broke off as the lights above them flickered. He tilted his head, seeing Scott mirror him. “Do you hear that?”

“Sounds like wires sparking.” Scott replied, his thoughts about Stiles and Theo forgotten as he walked toward the door. “It's coming from the basement.” Together they walked until they reached a hole in the basement wall; the wires inside had been pulled out and torn asunder, sparking and fizzling. Theo felt Scott frown at him. “Are those bite marks?”

“It's a chimera.” He replied softly.

 

Stiles stared at his phone, Theo’s shirtless body filling the screen, cheeky wink and that perfect grin completing the photo. _Holy fucking, oh my god, he is so…_ He stumbled into the ECG monitor causing Lydia to whirl about.

“What are you doing?”

“Huh?” He looked up, rubbing his knees. “Uh…”

“What’s that? Why are you blushing?” She moved behind him before he could cover his phone. “Oh. Well at least he has a nice body.” Stiles put his phone back in his pocket, ears burning. “Can you turn the lights on?”

Stiles flicked the switch but the lights flickered and died. “Damn. Well, it's not like you need them, you're just trying to listen.”

“I would like to see as well.” Lydia replied tersely. “Go and find someone to turn the lights on!”

“Yeah, on it.” Stiles pushed through the doors and almost walked into Melissa as he did. “Oh, hey!”

“Hi Stiles.”

“Um, can you get the lights on in that operating room back there?” He gestured behind him as she returned to the nurses' station on the floor below.

“We've been having problems all day, the operating rooms not in use are on backup lighting only.”

“Oh, ok.” Stiles walked back towards Lydia. “I guess darkness will do.” He shrugged and absently pressed the button for the nearby elevator. 

 

Scott and Theo waited for Malia to catch up with them. “Where’s Kira?”

“She’s still in the library.” Malia avoided looking at Theo, but Scott didn’t seem to notice, instead he set off at a brisk pace.

“Stiles and Lydia are in the hospital- nothing’s wrong, but they’re having power cuts too. We should be there.”

Theo nodded grimly as an uncomfortable sensation spread across his body. _Too busy playing games, Theo, when you should have been protecting the Alpha._ He heard his inner voice chastise him mockingly. _What will happen to you if Stiles is attacked by a chimera and you’re not there to protect him? That is your job, remember?_

“I know.” Theo muttered aloud, earning a frown from Malia. 

 

Stiles stood in the elevator, the doors closed slowly. Without warning his vision became blurred, and a wave of agony erupted across his forehead. “Ah!” Reality distorted before him; the lift becoming a large open space, he is floating above himself lying on a cold metal slab, the Dread Doctors gather around him. Suddenly Stiles is lying on his back, looking up as a heavy iron drill is placed against his skin...the vision twists again, a fragment pulls at his mind, a single shadowy figure leaning over him, a half-remembered smile... And then nothing. Stiles grunted as his head exploded in pain again. He leant against the mirrored walls, eyes shut, the glass cool on his skin. Slowly opening them, Stiles looked up, startling when he saw a familiar face standing behind him. He straightened up as the elevator came to a stop. The woman pushed past him. He reached for her, fingers brushing the cotton of her trailing dressing gown, “Mom?” Stiles half whispered, following her out onto the roof. 

She was standing on the ledge, looking down, bent at the knees, wind whipping the clothes back and forth. Stiles stumbled to a halt, staring at her. “Mom? Mom! What are you doing?”

The Sheriff brushed past him, but younger, not the Sheriff yet, Deputy's badge fixed to his chest instead. “Claudia? What are you doing up there?” He called out to his wife. His voice was calm, measured. “Claudia? Come down. Come on now.”

“I can't stand it! I can't stand it in that room with him! Not with him looking at me!” She shook her head vigorously, alternating glances between her husband and the ground. “Always looking! Always watching! Waiting for his chance to hurt me! I don't care if you don't believe me! He is! He's trying to kill me!”

Stiles stood motionless as his mother's words washed over him. The Sheriff was reassuring, stoic, gesturing for her to step back onto the roof. “That's not true, Claudia, he's just a little boy. You have to remind yourself that it's a disease, it makes you paranoid, gives you delusions. You know that.”

“You don't see the way he looks at me!”

“Claudia, he's ten years old.”

“He's trying to kill me!”

Stiles backed away as she looked towards him, face hard, eyes boring into him. He felt tears spill down his face, his heart aching in his chest, his legs going wobbly. He glanced to one side, his shadow was that of his ten-year-old self. Stiles looked up sharply as she rushed at him, flying from the ledge like a spectral harpy. His vision blurred again and Stiles shook his head to clear his eyes. The memory of his mother had shifted to a large toothed monster moving towards him instead. He swallowed uneasily, seeing the chimera drop the electricity cables it had been chewing on, its attention drawn to him. A cold sweat broke out across his body as the monster looked hungrily at him.

 

Theo broke off from the others as they rushed towards the center of the hospital. He skidded to a halt as the Surgeon emerged from a darkened room. “The roof.” Theo stared at him before nodding, the Doctor's words echoing down the hall after him. “Testing has begun.” 

_No, no, no! I’m coming, Stiles!_ Theo burst through the metal doors in time to see the fanged chimera stop in front of Stiles, a few feet away from the Alpha Chimera. Stiles had his hand stretched out, as though to stop him from advancing. Theo smelt the attacker's confusion in the air, as another scent overpowered it completely.

“Get away from me!”

He looked up in time to see Stiles' eyes turn from brown to purple, flashing dangerously, as he shouted the command. The attacking chimera stumbled backwards towards Theo.

Stiles felt his heart hammering furiously, sweat crawling down his skin as his stomach clenched. The monster had stopped coming closer to him, instead it had backed off, mouth closing slightly to hide its enormous fangs. He stared at it, not understanding the chimera's behaviour. "What are you..." He trailed off, seeing Theo moving around the monster towards him. Stiles looked over, relief spreading through him. “Theo!” This seemed to break the spell over his attacker and the chimera lunged forward. Theo darted in front of Stiles, ruthlessly grabbing the swinging hand and breaking it. Stiles winced as he heard the bones crack under the pressure. He backed away as Theo roared a challenge at the chimera, going on the offensive again. Sparks were flying everywhere from the severed power cables and Stiles scrabbled backwards, sitting down suddenly when he came to the lip of the roof, arm stretched out in front of his face to protect from the live wire. He looked up as Theo advanced.

Theo whirled around, catching the other chimera a stunning blow across the jaw. He staggered back and Theo moved in closer, slashing across his chest, punching furiously; his nose exploding in a shower of blood. Theo kept pushing him back; he felt stronger than ever before, as though it wasn't just him fighting. The scent of the Overmind was all around him, engulfing him, energising him, making him finally feel as powerful as a natural werewolf. He grabbed the other chimera around the throat as the fight pivoted back in front of Stiles, Theo felt almost unstoppable. The chimera stared into his eyes, as though begging him to stop, but Theo couldn’t. _We are not the same!_ With a final snarl, Theo lashed out viciously, his claws slashing the other chimera's throat, killing him instantly as a fountain of blood sprayed outwards, coating his face and hands in the viscera, glorying in the warm blood splashing against his skin. 

Stiles stumbled forwards, away from the dead chimera, as Theo stood over him, chest heaving, blood dripping from his face, gore-splattered hands hanging by his side. He turned towards Stiles, the Alpha Chimera's eyes having returned to normal. Theo wiped his face with one hand, his breathing hard. He smiled at Stiles. “You're alright.”

“What the fuck did you just do?” The Alpha Chimera demanded, glancing at the dead body by his feet. “You…You killed him!”

“Don't worry, Stiles, you're safe.”

“You killed him.” Stiles repeated numbly, as he walked around the edge of the roof until he reached the enclosure for the generators. “I can't...”

Theo looked at him, letting his claws and teeth retract, his yellow eyes fading back to normal. “He was going to kill you. I wasn't going to let that happen. I couldn’t.” Theo moved towards him until they were standing face to face. He breathed deeply, sucking in the air close to the Alpha Chimera. “You are so much more important than you know.” 

Stiles looked at him, confused. “What do you mean?”

“There’s something I need to tell you Stiles,” Theo grinned as he tugged the Alpha close to him, one bloody hand bunching in his hoodie. He leaned forward until his lips brushed Stiles’ ear. “Red Moon Eclipse.” He released him and watched as Stiles blinked, staggering backwards. 

“Argh!” He screamed aloud as a rush of images flashed by his eyes: The Doctors coming for him at the cabin in Harrisburg, taking him to their warehouse, operating on him, distorted images of an orange root-like organ being placed inside him. His chest seized as the memories threatened to overwhelm him, Stiles fell to his knees as Theo tried to help him, but he pushed him away, seeing the werewolf standing beside him in the operating room, pulling down his pants, forcing his cock into Stiles’ mouth, kissing him, tricking him, but also pleasing him, and then a whispered promise as the horrible, unbearable truth came tumbling out. _You are a chimera now, Stiles, just like the rest of them._

 

There was silence on the roof as Theo stared at Stiles, the Alpha had fallen on his hands and knees, sobbing at first, but then nothing for almost a minute. He reached out to touch him when Stiles looked up, his eyes purple orbs, power radiated from him and Theo felt an unstoppable urge to shift, his claws and teeth bursting forth as though it was the first time all over again. “Kneel.” The command was clear, Stiles’ voice was hard, cold. He stood up slowly. 

Theo fell to his knees, staring at him in wonder, the words springing to his lips unbidden. “Command me, Alpha.”

“I…” Stiles looked unsteadily around him, then looked down at Theo’s eager face. “I remember you. I remember what you did.” 

Theo didn’t reply, Stiles' scent was still him, but it was even more so, and through it floated a current of raw power. He blinked as Stiles touched his face gently with his fingers, tracing the furrowed brow and tips of his ears, trailing through the still wet blood. The Alpha looked at the dead body a few feet away. “You did this?”

“I did. I protected you.” 

Stiles nodded silently, his voice even, tone returning to normal. “That was a mistake. I need to tell Scott about this.”

“What? You can’t tell him!” Theo tried to stand, but Stiles raised a hand.

“I said to kneel! Good dog.” He turned around, standing in front of Theo. “This could come in handy. I wonder what else I can do?”

“Please, Stiles, don’t tell Scott.” Theo begged him. “I know about Donovan.”

The Alpha tilted his head. “What?”

“I cleaned up after you left. I didn’t take the body, but I got rid of your prints, threw away the wrench. I protected you even before I had to. I will always protect you.” He stumbled over his words in an effort to win Stiles back.

“Get up.” Stiles shook his head, purple glow fading. “C’mon, get up, Theo.”

Theo climbed to his feet, “What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know, but I need you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, next weekend is Christmas. I'm going to be away from Wednesday on, but I'm hoping to still post the chapter as normal-write it in the first half of the week. The week after could be more difficult though. Either way, there could be one weekend with no posting.


	7. Different

Stiles looked down at his hands, shaking slightly, he shook his head, _I don’t want this!_ Theo was still watching him, his expression a mix of awe and something else. _Fear, perhaps? Is he afraid of me? He did just call me “Alpha”, which does not sound good. I can’t…Oh god._ Stiles swallowed hard and looked away from the body, away from Theo, stumbling into a corner of the roof, sitting down hard. His eyes pricked as the memories of the Doctors came back to him again and again, flashes of their masked faces, the sound of their chittering voices, the rank, desperate smell that accompanied those memories. Stiles drew his knees up and wrapped his arms around them, burying his face in the space between, blocking out the world.

Theo stared at him, moistening his lips before walking over to crouch beside him. “Stiles?” He whispered softly. “Stiles, what’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong?” Stiles repeated, his voice half-way between a laugh and a sob. “I’m a fucking chimera, Theo! I’m gonna die!”

“No, you’re not. I told you, you’re important, special.” Theo laid a hand on his arm carefully, but Stiles didn’t brush him off. “The Doctors aren’t going to kill you, and you’re too strong to die like the others.”

Stiles still didn’t look at him, but brushed the tears away from his eyes angrily. “Why me? Why am I a chimera?”

Theo shook his head, “Does it matter, Stiles? And you’re not just any chimera; you’re the Alpha Chimera! The Overmind, the Dread Doctors call you, or your species, I guess.”

He looked up then, staring at Theo, “Alpha?” Stiles echoed softly. “What do you mean?”

“Being the Overmind allows you to control other chimeras, using bio-chemical markers that affect our physical abilities. It has a range though; the closer we are to you, the more powerful. That’s why I couldn’t stand just now when you told me to kneel. You can make me do anything you want.” He swallowed hard as Stiles frowned at him.

“Anything?” His mind raced at the possibilities, but he looked away from Theo. “What else does it do to me?”

“You’re still the same person, Stiles. Look, your abilities are the same as my claws and fangs; they don’t change me, they don’t force me to make good decisions or evil ones, they just change how I see the world. You can do something that no one else can, but you don’t have to use your powers if you don’t want to, Stiles.” Theo finished.

“Don’t give the ‘great power comes great responsibility’ speech, Theo.” Stiles muttered absently, then looked at him when the other chimera fell silent, frowning. “Wait, did you do that because I asked you to or-”

“No, I don’t think it works like that. It’s not mind control.”

“Then what? I think something and you do it? Or do I have to say it out loud?”

“I don’t know Stiles,” Theo shrugged. “I feel powerful around you, I bet that all chimeras do. But I don’t know if that power is multiplied when there’s more of us around you, or what.”

“I don’t want this, Theo.”

“Then don’t use it.” He repeated and helped Stiles to stand, nodding at the dead teenager behind them. “I killed him because I chose to, not because you made me, or because I’m a chimera. Use it to protect yourself or others, use it to make me a nice guy if you want, or-”

“You’re already nice,” Stiles muttered.

“Nicer, then.” He smiled at Stiles. “You don’t even have to use anyone else: just me.”

“And you’d give me all that control over you because…?” Stiles looked at him suspiciously.

“You’re a better master than the Dread Doctors ever were.” Theo replied after a pause, seeing Stiles’ eyes widen. “Yeah, there’s a lot more to your memories than just becoming a chimera.”

“Fuck, I can’t believe you did this…” The Alpha Chimera was staring at his hands, then looked accusingly at Theo. “You, were you pretending this whole time? Do you even like me? Or did you just want to use me again?”

“Of course I like you, Stiles!” Theo protested as Stiles approached him, unease settling in as the Alpha’s eyes blazed purple again. “I-ah!” Theo was shoved backwards against the wire fence of the enclosure.

“What do you know about liking me? You’re just a fake!” Stiles roared at him, his hands bunched in Theo’s shirt, only being peripherally aware of the hard muscle underneath. “You know nothing about me!”

“I know you’ve been beating yourself up about Donovan, I know you think-”

“No, no, no.” Stiles interrupted, muttering to himself as he looked away from Theo, his grip lessening, eyes returning to brown again. “You can’t…”

Theo took the opportunity to turn the tables on Stiles, flipping their positions, and pushing Stiles back into the fence, standing closer to him. “I was there! I was at the library! I saw you kill him.” He moved even closer to Stiles, his hands held high on the Alpha's biceps, “I know what I saw, Stiles.”

“And what was that?”

“You becoming more than just some human side-kick to an Alpha who’d never turn you, better than any other chimera they've ever built, becoming something, someone, who can be _my_ equal.” His eyes locked onto Stiles', “You're the hand that holds the weapon, Stiles.”

“And you're the weapon?” Stiles asked, frowning. _Damn his body is hard, and his eyes…_ He crushed the thoughts and blinked as Theo replied.

“Exactly, the only one you're ever gonna need. Together we'll be unstoppable!”

“You're delusional!” He stared at Theo, seeing the zeal shining in his eyes. “Donovan-”

“Was a sacrifice. Meant to unleash the power of the Overmind and create the most powerful chimera ever.” 

“I don't want to be a chimera! I didn't mean to kill Donovan, it just...happened.”

“Do you think Scott will see it like that?”

“You son of a bitch.” Stiles growled at him, “I bet I could command you not to say anything.”

“Sure, you could. You have that power.” Theo smiled, shaking his head. “But you don’t have to, Stiles, I won’t say anything if you don’t. And besides, once you justify using your abilities for your own gain…it’s a slippery slope to hell, to becoming everything the Dread Doctors want you to be.”

“And what do you want me to be? Your partner-in-crime? Your king? Your Alpha?”

“I just want you to be with me, Stiles. Us, together-”

“Unstoppable.” Stiles repeated Theo’s earlier word, glaring at him. Then he looked behind Theo at the dead chimera, lying in a slowly spreading pool of blood. He dropped his hands from Theo's t-shirt and the chimera released him. Stiles looked between him and the body. He sighed heavily, “Ok, look. I won’t tell Scott about you killing him, if you don’t tell him-or anyone- about me killing Donovan. Deal?”

Theo nodded. “Of course, Stiles, anything you want.”

 

Theo looked over his shoulder, frowning as sirens reached him, he turned to see Stiles tense up. “It's not an ambulance, is it?”

“No.” The Alpha Chimera shook his head and brushed past him, stopped and looked back. “Clean your face. You're covered in blood.” _He looks super-hot though, and he was so close, we could’ve-_

 _There’s literally a still-warm dead body in front of us, I am not making out with Theo right now, no matter how hot he is!_ Stiles replied to his own thoughts and moved away from Theo to adjust his hard cock before it tented in his pants. “Come here, Theo.”

“Ok. We should get out of here, though.”

Stiles looked at the dead body, shaking his head. “We can't just leave him.”

Theo sighed, but nodded. “Fine. Let's take him with us, someone is stealing the bodies anyway, right?”

Stiles stared at him, “Uh...”

“Here's our chance to find out who.” Theo argued, gesturing at him. “Stiles? C'mon!”

“You killed him.” He murmured, staring at the dead chimera.

“Stiles, it was self-defense.” Theo protested, reaching for him. “I was protecting you.”

“I could've have stopped you, both of you!” Stiles shook his head, frowning as he thought he saw a glisten in Theo's eyes. _Is he crying?_ “I...”

“If we stay here, we're either gonna have to tell the truth, or come up with a pretty convincing lie. My car is downstairs, we can put him in the trunk.” Theo shook his head, looking at him. “It’s your choice.”

“Of course it is...Fine.”

“You grab that end, I have the messy bit.”

“You're still covered in blood, Theo.”

“So, what? I should take off my shirt?”

 _Oh, please do, it can only make this whole thing a sexy confusing mess!_ Stiles felt his cock twitch at the image of a sweat-streaked, bloodied, shirtless Theo and swallowed hard. He saw the chimera’s lips curl into a smile and reached down to grab the dead teenager’s jacket, his hands slipping slightly in the spilled gore. That sobered him up quickly and he glared at Theo. “Just grab him, we’ll clean up after we get out of here.”

 

Stiles gestured for Theo to pull in. “Here. Stop here.”

“We’re not at the Vet’s, though.” Theo glanced at him. “What is it?”

“Do you have water?” 

“Yeah, it’s in the back.”

“Good, get out.” Stiles opened the door and Theo followed him after a moment. They had managed to get the body out of the hospital without anyone noticing- the panic from the blackout had people running around frantically, and Theo brought his truck around to a side entrance where Stiles had crouched with the dead chimera. Minutes after they had closed the trunk, his Dad’s police cruiser had pulled into the lot, rushing past them in a blaze of blue lights. 

Now that they had pulled onto a slip road, Stiles finally was able to breathe again. An Alpha Chimera he might be, but he still felt the nerves rush through him as he thought about how close they had come to being caught with a dead body. He took the offered bottle of water from Theo. “Take your shirt off.” The chimera pulled it off slowly, Stiles letting his eyes travel across the expanse of hard muscle and tanned skin. _Yum!_

“Stiles?” Theo asked him, the Alpha’s eyes had fixed on his chest. “What now?”

“Oh, uh. Here.” He unscrewed the cap and poured some of the water onto Theo’s t-shirt, letting him wash the blood from his face. Stiles reached up to turn the chimera’s chin this way and that to make sure the blood was cleaned off. Theo held still as his skin tingled at the Alpha’s touch. “Ok, you look ok. Well, better than ok.” He smirked and handed Theo the bottle, taking his wet t-shirt from him. “Do you like this shirt?”

“I guess so, why?”

“Keep it then, wash it when you get home, you’ll have to clean it by hand though. Use soap.”

Theo stared at him, brow raised. “How do you know that?”

Stiles didn’t answer, instead unzipping his hoodie. “Here, put this on, it might be a little tight, but.”

“Won’t Scott notice?”

“I’d be surprised.” Stiles muttered and handed it to him. “Come on, I’ll call him now.”

“So, what are we saying happened?” Theo asked as he pulled Stiles’ hoodie on, the scent of the Alpha all around him, covering his skin.

“The Dread Doctors turned up; they killed him. We took the body; your brilliant idea, to figure out who’s actually taking them.”

Theo nodded approvingly, “Yeah, that’s good, it can explain any blood he smells off us too.”

“Hmm.” Stiles shrugged, he hadn’t thought of that. “Ok, go.”

 

Stiles wetted his lips as Scott entered the clinic, reaching over to draw back the sheet. “Do you know him, Scott?”

The werewolf nodded, “Yeah, his name is Josh, a Junior.” He glanced up at Stiles, frowning, “What happened?”

Stiles looked at Theo, _Careful._ The chimera looked back at him, their eyes brushing against each other, and despite everything, Stiles felt the same skip in his heart, the race of his pulse, the clench of his stomach. Scott looked at him sharply.

“Stiles?”

“What?” He tore his eyes away from Theo, flipping the sheet back over Josh. 

“So, which one did it? Was it the one with the cane?”

Stiles glanced back at Theo, lips pressed together, and nodded his head slightly.

“Yeah.” Theo nodded, taking his cue from Stiles. “That one.”

“What are we gonna do with him?” Stiles looked at the sheet, then up at Scott. “You said something was taking the bodies, Scott? Well someone should stay with him and see if they come back. I'll do it.”

“Hmm.” Scott frowned, “Ok, but you shouldn't be alone, Stiles, I-”

“I'll wait!” Theo spoke, a little too eager, but Scott nodded slowly.

“Ok, I guess. Uh,” He looked at them both, clearing his throat as if to say something, then thought better of it. “Um. Should we leave the body here, or?” His phone buzzed, interrupting him. “Oh crap. It's another, another chimera!”

“Who?” Stiles asked, curious.

“Hayden.” Scott turned to leave. “I have to go.” 

Theo gestured for Stiles to follow him. The Alpha Chimera frowned, but grimaced.

“Uh, Scott, I'll come with you.”

“Yeah, good. Liam's freaking out.” Scott muttered, heading towards the parking lot.

“Hey, Stiles?” Theo threw his keys at Stiles as they left the room, “You might as well take my truck.”

“Ok,” He frowned at him, “What about you?” 

“I’ll put the body somewhere safe, I’ll come find you then, if that’s ok?” He added hopefully.

“Yeah, come to my house in about an hour.” Stiles turned away and walked towards Theo’s truck, _What safe place?_

Theo waited until he left and then picked Josh’s body up, carrying the dead weight easily, heading towards the Doctors’ lab. Unless the creature that was taking the bodies had been there-and read the book-it wouldn’t remember the location; it was the safest place he knew.

 

Stiles started the SUV and backed carefully out onto the road. Scott glanced at him, but was silent. They drove for almost five minutes without speaking, until finally the werewolf turned to him. “Why was Theo wearing your hoodie?”

“Oh, uh, I gave it to him.”

“Right.” Scott swallowed hard, as Stiles glanced at him. “So, you and him…that’s, uh.”

“Yeah, exactly, Scott.” Stiles replied shortly. The air felt tense and he tapped nervously on the steering wheel.

“Oh. Ok. Um,” Scott was looking at him, but Stiles kept his eyes front. “Why didn’t you ever tell me?”

Stiles resisted the urge to laugh, lips quirking instead. “When was I meant to tell you that? The day you became a werewolf? Or the moment you transformed into a True Alpha? Or maybe the time I became a Nogitsune and drained all the suffering from you? Or the-”

“Alright, Stiles. I get it.” Scott put out a hand to stop him, “I’m sorry, I should’ve realised.”

“Yeah, well, I hid it pretty well.”

“Uh huh,” Scott nodded, then wrinkled his nose. “Is that blood?”

 _Oh, now you notice?_ Stiles shrugged, “Yeah, we were pretty close to Josh when he died.”

 

Stiles nodded his hello at Liam, but the Beta ignored him and led Scott to the bathroom door, rambling about how he figured out Hayden was a chimera, and the Dread Doctors had come for her, and “Then I saved her, and brought her here and-”

“Ok, ok, take a breath.” Scott held up a hand to stop him, and looked at the bathroom door, knocking twice. “Hayden? It’s Scott, can you open the door? Hayden? Come on now.”

Stiles glanced at the Beta standing between him and Scott, studying him absently. _Pretty little ball of fury…_ “What happened?”

“She was fine until we got here, and then she locked herself in the bathroom.” He looked at Stiles, “One of the Doctors kept saying her name and ‘Your condition improves,’ whatever that means.”

 _She’s getting stronger. She might actually survive._ The thought surprised him, but Stiles kept his face neutral. Aloud he nodded, and brushed past Liam to Scott, “Here, let me try.” He rapped on the wooden door, “Hayden, it's Stiles? Your sister works with my Dad down at the station? Look, just open the door, ok? You can trust us.” He blinked as a conflict erupted in his mind, part of him wanting to use his new abilities to force her out, but another part resisting hard- the last thing he wanted was another _Command me, Alpha_ moment in front of the two actual werewolves... Scott took over as he backed away.

“Hayden, we're just going to have to tell you the truth, ok? But this thing is better done face to face.” There was no answer, but Stiles frowned as he felt, more than saw, Hayden moving around behind the door; her true form triggered.

“Scott? We need to get in there.”

“I know,” He spoke again, “Hayden, you need to unlock the door, or I'll break it down, either way we need to know that you're ok in there.” He waited, and then took a step back, but the door clicked suddenly and sprung ajar. Scott parted it and revealed Hayden, standing in the dark room, eyes glowing the same yellow as Theo, fangs just visible. Stiles felt a tremor run through him, not quite the same as when he was with Theo, but it was there: a sharpening of his senses, a perceived energy in his body, his muscles ready to leap into action. Stiles held back, remembering what Theo had said about the range of his powers. He idly wondered what kind of chimera she was as Hayden looked up.

“I believe you.”

 

Stiles left Scott and Liam to talk to Hayden, becoming uncomfortable as she stared at him, the same strange fire in her eyes as Theo had just after his true nature as the Overmind had been revealed. He parked Theo’s truck on the drive, leaving space for his father’s cruiser when he returned; he'd go pick up his own Jeep in the morning. Stiles climbed out, noticing Theo was sitting on the steps to his house, waiting for him. “Theo.”

“Stiles! I couldn’t get in.”

“Couldn’t, huh?” Stiles shrugged, and unlocked the door, letting the chimera follow him inside. “Where’s the body?”

“Somewhere safe, he won’t be taken,” Theo stood looking around the living room. “How did it go with Hayden? Did she recognise you?”

“Yeah. She had the look.” Stiles sighed heavily. “I’m tired. Come on.” 

Theo hesitated for a moment before walking upstairs after Stiles. He stopped in the doorway to Stiles’ room, his eyes shutting as he let his nose drink in Stiles’ scent, his head lolling back. When he opened them again, the Alpha was staring at him. “What?”

“What are you doing?”

“You smell nice.” Theo muttered, looking down as Stiles gave a short laugh. “I like your room.”

“Uh huh.” Stiles sat down heavily on his bed. “This is insane.”

“What part?”

“All of it!” He leapt up, suddenly angry. “What the fuck, Theo? How did this happen to me? Why? I can’t even…”

Theo reached out to him, but Stiles brushed him away. He tried again, this time getting a furious stare from the Alpha. “Stiles.”

“Go away!” 

“Err, I-”

“Go away, Theo!” He yelled at him and the chimera took a step backwards, hands held up.

“Ok, I’ll get a drink of water.”

Stiles breathed heavily when Theo finally left him alone, but a peculiar feeling swept across him, as though his senses had just been dulled. He walked over to his mirror, staring at himself. He frowned angrily, “I don’t want to be a chimera. I don’t want this power.” His eyes flashed purple for a moment. With a snarl of fury Stiles lashed out, punching the mirror, shattering the glass and his image. “Ah!” He cried out in pain when a fragment buried itself in the skin above his knuckles, blood pumped out from the wound as his eyes watered. 

Theo put down his drink and was immediately up the stairs, “What happened? Oh fuck!”

“It’s nothing,” Stiles gasped, pushing Theo’s concerned hands away, and staggered over to his bed. “I’m gonna heal, right?”

“Uh, no, you don’t have that power.” Theo looked around, “Do you have a first-aid kit?”

“Bathroom, top shelf.” Stiles muttered. There wasn’t much pain, but his knuckles were cut deep, blood running down his fist. Theo returned after a minute. He took Stiles’ hand carefully, working quickly to pull out the shards of glass, cleaned and then bandaged the wound. 

“You don’t need stitches, I don’t think. We’ll check again in the morning.” His tone was quiet. 

“Thanks, Theo.” Stiles frowned at him. There were so many questions he wanted to ask, but he didn’t seem to have the energy. Instead he rolled over onto his side, facing the wall, away from the other chimera. Stiles stiffened when he heard the bed creak, but he didn’t object when Theo moved closer behind him, they weren’t touching exactly, but he could feel his presence. 

Theo heard Stiles’ pulse steady out and his breathing settle as he drifted off to sleep. But he couldn’t quieten his mind, and he wasn’t used to having someone else sleep beside him. Minutes passed into an hour and Theo was still awake, lying on his back as he looked up, studying the cracks in Stiles’ ceiling. The Alpha moved over, his eyes twitching under his eyelids as he dreamt. Theo turned his head to look at Stiles’ restful face, his arms pulled close together. The bandage was holding, although he could smell the heavy metallic tang of the blood underneath the dressing. He glided his hands down Stiles’ bare arms and frowned as the Alpha shivered. _He must be cold._ Theo reached behind him and pushed down the sheets, manoeuvring carefully to ease Stiles between them. The Alpha mumbled incoherently and Theo smiled softly, staying outside the covers, but hugging Stiles to him as the teenager turned onto his side again. Theo finally felt his mind quieten and he relaxed as sleep took over, drifting away into unawareness. 

Theo blinked his eyes awake. It was still dark outside, but he had heard footsteps on the stairs. He went still, ears straining, trying to identify the person coming up, but he didn’t recognise them. Theo half turned, moving away from Stiles to better sniff the air. _Ah, the Sheriff._ He quickly turned back as the police officer stopped in the open door and looked in at them. Theo could hear the man’s muffled expression as he saw the broken mirror, the first-aid kit lying open on the desk, and the chimera knew there was no way that he couldn’t see that there were two of them on Stiles’ bed. The Sheriff lingered for a moment longer and then he left, closing the door quietly behind him. Theo snuggled closer to Stiles, filling his lungs with the Alpha’s unmistakable scent. He stopped as his lips brushed the top of Stiles’ spine, his nose pressed against his neck. 

When he woke the next morning, Stiles blinked, clearing his eyes. It took a moment for the night’s events to come back to him and he stared at the ceiling as the early sun played across it. Theo was still beside him, his arm having wrapped around Stiles sometime during the night. He turned over onto his other side to look at the chimera, studying his face as he slept. Theo had obviously pulled the sheets around him, but Stiles didn’t remember it. And they were both still dressed in last night’s clothes, although Theo had pulled up the sleeves of his hoodie, unzipping it to reveal his smooth, tanned chest and his bulging biceps were stretching the fabric in the arms. Stiles pushed his lips together as he thought about what Theo had said; total physical control of any chimera, he could make him do anything; maybe get revenge for what Theo had done to him. But…well that would’ve worked a few weeks ago, when he didn’t know Theo the way he did now, as much as the chimera had used him, Stiles didn’t feel the urge to extract retribution from him. Perhaps it was enough to know that he _could_ do something to Theo if he wanted to. Stiles briefly wondered about the other chimeras that were out there. _Donovan was an asshole, but Lucas took a pretty good mugshot, and Josh wasn’t that bad to look at._ But, no, they all paled in comparison to Theo. _He is kinda perfect, Stiles. And he wants you. Plus we now know he’s got a thick dick! Mmh!_

 _Oh my god brain, that is-_ “Ah!” Stiles bit his lip as pain spasmed across his fist, the wound throbbing. Theo frowned in his sleep, hearing him, and his eyes flicked open. Stiles blinked as he was confronted with two yellow orbs. “Uh, hi.”

“Are you ok?” Theo ran his eyes up and down Stiles.

“No, just my hand. It’s nothing.”

“I better go, before your Dad finds me in here.” Theo smiled at him, and leaned over to kiss him on the lips. Stiles froze but then pulled away.

“I’m still angry with you.” He muttered, sitting up. 

“Right.” Theo mumbled. “Do you want your hoodie back?”

“Keep it. Your truck is out front, keys on the desk.” Stiles avoided his eyes and Theo stood up, picking up his keys. “I’ll see you this evening: stakeout, remember?”

“I remember.” Theo paused at the door, looking back at him. “Stiles, I have to report to the Dread Doctors, or they’ll think something is wrong. Don’t worry, I’ll only tell them that you’re aware of being a chimera, not that you know how to use your abilities.”

“Well that’s reassuring, Theo.” Stiles muttered. “If I actually knew how to control these powers, I’d be less worried.”

“It’ll be alright, Stiles. I’ll explain later.”

“How do I know you won’t just tell them everything?” Stiles asked, walking over to him. Theo glanced at him, shaking his head slowly.

“I wouldn’t do that.” _I still need you, and your powers. We have a future together, Stiles. Doesn’t everyone want to rule the world?_

“So, what? You’re a double agent?”

“Something like that.” Theo shrugged. “I’m on your side, Stiles.”

“And which side is that?” He wondered aloud.

“The chimera side.” Theo smirked and left the room, closing the door behind him.

 

Stiles looked down as Scott pulled out the map of the ley-lines under Beacon Hills, frowning as his best friend outlined their plan. He fidgeted absently with the edge of the map.

“The Dread Doctors wouldn’t come into Eichen House until Kira disrupted the barriers and even then, they didn’t like to come into it. If we can find another concentration of ley-lines, we can use them to protect Hayden.”

“Where?” 

“You’re standing in it.” Scott pointed out. He frowned, looking down at Stiles. “Wait, what happened to your hand?”

“I punched a mirror.” Stiles muttered, ignoring Scott’s questioning gaze. “It’s nothing. Now, you want to hide her in the high school?”

“Yeah, me, Liam, and Malia will provide protection for Hayden tonight.” Scott answered, not wanting to press Stiles about his hand.

“But it’s still just a high school, Scott, not a fortress.”

“Well,” Scott shrugged, “Lydia has an idea for that too. Do you remember when Valack told you about frequency and vibration?”

“Yeah.”

“So, Parrish is taking three cell phone jammers and boosting their power to try and disrupt their frequency.” Scott looked at him expectantly.

“Impressive.” He glanced at the werewolf. “I’ll be with Theo at the Animal Clinic tonight, we’ll see if we can figure out who’s taking the bodies. Get at least one mystery solved.”

“Ok,” Scott avoided his eyes, “I wish we had someone else to go with you guys, but-”

“Scott, it’s alright,” Stiles forced a laugh, “Theo’s an Omega, and I’m only human, you don’t need us with you.”

“Exactly.” Scott smiled at him and turned to leave. “I’m going to find Kira.”

Stiles blinked as he walked away. _Really, Scott? Ok, we’ll see how you feel when I have my own private army of chimeras! Demon chimeras-they would be so much more awesome...I play way too many video games._ Stiles smirked to himself at the image of demonic Theo; shirtless with horns and a sheet of fire behind him. _So hot!_

 

Theo dumped Josh’s body onto the cold slab, covering his face again. The blood had dried into that dark red, almost black that Theo found so fascinating, but held his desires in check and instead pulled out his phone to text Stiles that he had arrived. _At Vet’s, waiting on you._ His hand shook uncontrollably and he dropped the phone onto the slab, his vision blurring as a long-buried memory rose up and engulfed him. 

He was leaning on the railing of a wooden bridge in the forest, a small, fast flowing stream rushing underneath him. Theo looked to one side, two sticks lay forgotten at the edge of the bridge; had he been playing? A sob reached his ears and he looked over the railing to see his sister floundering in the cold water, her leg bent at an unnatural angle. He felt nothing, not satisfaction, or fear, or horror. A mild curiosity came over him as he wondered what would happen to her? How did it feel? What sort of pain was she experiencing? Did it make her more, or less, determined to escape? The thoughts flittered across his mind as he stood there, watching her struggle. He looked up as three tall black-clad figures shuddered into existence behind him; the Dread Doctors here to claim their prize.

The Geneticist placed her hand on his shoulder, almost comfortingly. The Surgeon looked down at the drowning girl, nodding approvingly. “Yes...Excellent work, Theo.”

“Let us begin again...” The Pathologist whispered, moving down the muddy riverbank to examine her more closely. "A fine specimen, her parts will be useful indeed. You will make a powerful chimera." He directed towards Theo.

Theo felt a smile break out across his face as he looked up at the two Dread Doctors towering over him. 

Theo started as the visions faded; he was in the Animal Clinic, standing in front of the mirror in the employee bathroom, no memory of how he came to be there. He blinked and swallowed hard, looking at himself. A rush of new images flooded his mind; the Doctors taking him, his parents disappearing, cold, damp earth around him, then night's sky, the Doctors pulling him out, prodding and poking and testing until they were satisfied that at last, they had created a functional chimera. 

“The first of the new order!” The Surgeon cried triumphantly as he towered over him, just a little boy, turned into a werewolf-werecoyote hybrid.

 

Theo gasped and splashed cold water on his face, shaking the memories from his thoughts. He returned to the surgery as the sun was setting behind the horizon, casting a bronze light through the high windows of the room. The chimera checked his phone. _10 minutes._ Theo looked up sharply as a crackle reached his ears. He walked around to the front. The Surgeon was standing in the waiting room, hands resting on his cane.

“Checking up on me?” Theo asked, lips twitching. The Doctor was silent, watching him. “You can't tell me you don't want to know who's taking the bodies?”

“Inconsequential.” The Surgeon intoned.

“Why?” He glanced back at the body of the dead chimera. “You don't care that someone is running off with the failures? You used to-” The Dread Doctor shuddered in front of him and Theo stopped speaking as he realised the truth. “You already know who's taking them. This part of your plan? Who is it?”

The Surgeon simply looked at him, repeating his previous reply. “Inconsequential.”

“Not to me! They're part...” he broke off, turning to look as Stiles' Jeep arrived. “The Alpha has, oh.” The Surgeon had vanished. Theo frowned and then went around to see Stiles. “Hey, what's going on?”

“Hey, Theo.” Stiles brushed by him, talking quickly. “So, I was thinking that whoever is taking the bodies won't be doing it while we're standing guard on them.”

“Meaning?”

“I got an idea.” Stiles took out his phone and looked around the room. He placed the cell on a counter with enough range to see the body and gestured for Theo to follow him out. Together they climbed into his Jeep, and Stiles slipped a micro-monitor around the mirror, keeping an eye on the Vet's. 

“What happens now?” Theo asked, uncertainly.

“We wait.” Stiles replied, settling back into his seat.

“I can think of worse things.” Theo muttered, then glanced at Stiles, “Should we take shifts watching?”

“No, no. I want to spend some quality time with you.” 

Theo frowned, unsure if Stiles was being serious, considering how he had been this morning. His scent was odd, almost spikey, but still just as potent, just as powerful. Theo chewed his bottom lip and shrugged. “Ok.”

 

Stiles kept his eyes on the monitor, even as Theo glanced around. The image was still; nothing had happened and they hadn’t spoken in the last fifteen minutes.

Theo shifted in his seat, looking occasionally at Stiles. “What does it feel like?” He eventually asked.

Stiles frowned, looked at him, and then back at the monitor. “What?”

“Being an Alpha.” Theo prompted.

“I don’t know, I don’t really feel any different.”

“Oh, I thought you might.” Theo sounded disappointed.

Stiles shrugged, “I suppose I feel a little clearer, like my senses are better- not to your level, or Scott’s, but a bit better.”

“Do you think Scott is a good Alpha?” Theo asked him, seeing Stiles’ brows shoot up in surprise.

“What sort of question is that?”

“You’re part of his pack, his best friend, I would’ve thought you had an opinion?”

“Of course I have an opinion!” Stiles glared at him, “It’s…Why are you asking me about this?”

“Because you’re better.” Theo smiled at him, “Think about it Stiles, ask yourself if Scott really values you? He’s been pretty much oblivious to you and your suffering for a long time. Longer than I’ve been here, I bet.” Stiles didn’t reply, but his jaw became more prominent as he ground his teeth, his lips pressed together. “If Malia could smell the blood from where Donovan attacked you, don’t you think that the Alpha, the strongest of werewolves, would be able to smell it too? Don’t you think that Scott, your _best friend_ , would have asked if you were ok? He would’ve wanted to know what happened to you, but he doesn’t care. You know it too, Stiles, you can feel him drifting away. He doesn’t see the value in you!”

“And you do?” Stiles barked back at him, irritated at how there seemed to be truth in Theo’s words. _Why didn’t Scott smell the blood? And earlier, remember how he just dismissed me, like I was dead weight._

“I do.” Theo replied simply. “You know now that I could’ve had whoever I wanted, that I've already _had_ you like that, but I'm here. We belong together Stiles, and not just because we're both chimeras.”

Stiles looked at him for a moment, and then pulled his eyes away. “Because we both killed a chimera?”

Theo shrugged, answering a question with a question. “What's the punishment for killing a chimera?”

“I get to spend five hours in a car with Theo Raeken.” He glanced at him and Theo smiled, seeing the emotion reflected in Stiles' eyes, even if it didn't reach his face. His scent turned sad, bitter. “No, I know what my punishment is.” He sighed. "Scott...you're right about him. But, he's my best friend, I can’t just-”

“Your best friend?” Theo echoed softly.

“Not if he finds out, not when he finds out, I'm gonna lose him.” Stiles looked out through the windshield, “I’m gonna lose them all.”

Theo didn't reply, just studied Stiles instead. Then he shook his head, “Stiles, you really think Scott would give up on you that easily, especially for a piece of crap like Donovan? I mean, if he does, that pretty much proves what I just said about him.”

“I killed someone, Theo! I know that might not mean much to you, but-”

“Hey, Stiles! That's not fair.” He shook his head angrily, looking at him intensely, “You know, maybe you or Scott should look up the definition of a justifiable homicide!”

“Did you just seriously say that to me, the son of a cop?” Stiles glared at him. 

“You were protecting yourself, just as I was protecting you. It was self-defense, for me and for you.” He looked away, adding. “If Scott had been there-either time-then, yeah, maybe it would've ended up differently. But he wasn't. I wouldn't change anything I've done, Stiles.”

“You don't feel guilty?”

“Do you?”

Stiles replied with a glare, his brows twisted as he shook his head slightly. “Of course I do.”

“I don't mean now, I mean right then, right after it happened?” Theo pushed, “How did it feel?”

Stiles struggled to answer, chewing on his bottom lip, he didn't want to give voice to the emotion that surfaced, to admit it aloud, finally. After a moment of staring dead ahead, he moistened his lips and spoke. “One word. Good.”

Theo smiled darkly, _There’s an Alpha I can follow._

Stiles glanced at him, then away. “So, there’s truly nothing you would change?”

“No.”

“Nothing?” He looked at Theo, seeing the chimera squirm under his gaze.

“Well,” Theo hesitated, looking away before turning back to him, “One thing I'd change, I'd take it back. I'm...I'm sorry.” _And I actually mean that for once. Strange._

“I can feel that, Theo.” Stiles replied quietly. He glanced at the camera. “Still nothing.”

 

There was silence in the Jeep again, although it was no longer as tense as it had been before. A different sort of tension filled the air instead, as Stiles glanced at Theo when he wasn’t looking, quickly darting his eyes away when the chimera looked at him. Their little game made Stiles smirk. But Theo was getting restless and he opened the window to let in some fresh air and let out the condensation that was building inside. He made to pull off his jacket as Stiles stared at him. “What?”

“Nothing.” He looked away quickly, feeling the heat spread across his face. He couldn't help but look back to see Theo smirking at him. “You don't have to be so...oh, fuck it!” He broke off, leaning over the gearbox to grab Theo by his jacket lapels, smashing his mouth against the other chimera. 

Theo blinked, surprised, but eagerly accepted Stiles' kiss, opening his lips and inviting the Alpha's tongue inside. He moaned as Stiles' hands roamed across his body, one gripping his neck firmly and the other roughly pulling his t-shirt up to trail his fingers across Theo's muscled chest. Theo pulled Stiles closer until he grunted and climbed out of the driver's seat and straddled his lap. “Stiles?” Theo asked, pulling away, but the Alpha just shook his head, eyes still closed and kissed him hard again, feeling his lips sting slightly. Theo rested his hands on Stiles' butt, feeling it clench and release as he rubbed against him. Theo's cock was as hard as it had ever been, pushing against the restrictive fabric of his jeans. Stiles was moving again, reaching down to adjust the seat height, pushing him back further. “Stiles, we-” Theo protested again, but Stiles shoved him back.

“You shut up.”

“Uh.” His mouth snapped closed.

“Good.” Stiles grabbed the back of Theo's neck and started making out with him again; his cock was throbbing and he could already feel his boxers damp with precum flowing from the head. His shirt was stifling but he didn’t want to stop kissing Theo to take it off, ignoring the sweat as it poured down his body. If anything, the hotter he got, the harder Theo kissed him, the more he gripped his ass. 

Theo was drowning in a sea of Stiles’ scent, unable to smell anything else, and glorying in the way it made him feel everything harder, clearer, better. He pushed one of his hands under Stiles’ shirt, running his fingers down the Alpha’s abs and grabbing at his hard cock through the fabric of his boxers, the other pushing earnestly into his trousers to better feel Stiles’ ass. He began to pull him back and forth against him, but it was really Stiles who was in control, rocking against him, hands on his body, roaming everywhere.

Stiles was started to really get into their thrusting movements when Theo pushed him back, eyes glowing yellow. “What is it?” He panted, out of breath.

“I heard something.” Theo whispered, nostrils flaring, trying to filter out the other smells from Stiles' overpowering scent, made even more potent by the fact the Alpha was sweating hard. Theo let Stiles move into his own seat, pulling his clothes back into place and frowned. “I think...smoke?”

“Fire?”

“No, I-” A flaming fist smashed into Theo before he could finish speaking. Stiles felt warm blood splatter across his entire face as heat rushed around him, Theo was out cold and Stiles felt a strange sensation envelope him, it was as if someone had dimmed the lights; the Alpha Chimera's power was lessened. Theo was dragged out of the Jeep, as fire spread all around them. 

"Theo!" But Stiles didn't have time for another thought; his world flipping and crashing back down as the Jeep was turned over. Showers of broken glass rained down on him as he looked around wildly before his head smacked off the door, knocking him out too.

 

Theo coughed blood, his t-shirt smouldering as his vision swam in and out. He tried to stand, but as he got up on his hands and knees, something hit him from behind. The chimera grunted and collapsed onto the gravel. He could see Stiles just barely as the Jeep started to tip over. He reached out a hand feebly but couldn't stop the vehicle from crashing back down. “N…” _No!_ He screamed internally, clawing his way forward towards Stiles. His face burned as the charred skin peeled away; his regeneration already kicking in. Stiles was slumped inside the Jeep, lying on the roof, his head resting outside. In the confusion and fire and smoke, his head pounding viciously, Theo couldn't hear Stiles’ pulse, couldn't smell him through the burning of his own flesh. The chimera struggled grimly onwards until he reached the edge of the Jeep. He froze, playing dead, when the figure encased in fire walked from the Animal Clinic again, ignoring them this time, hands full with Josh's body. Theo looked up when the burning man had left and moved around the Jeep towards Stiles. He managed to get up on all fours, crawling blindly, his vision badly blurred as a wave of nausea swept across him. _I’m coming! Hold on, Stiles! Hold on!_

Determinedly, Theo grabbed Stiles' shirt in one hand and dragged him away from the broken Jeep, collapsing down on his back, Stiles clutched protectively to him as flames encircled the vehicle. Another wave of darkness threatened to take him, and Theo didn't fight it this time.

 

After a few minutes, Theo woke up as Stiles coughed and spluttered on top of him. He sat up, lifting Stiles and patting his back gently, one arm still holding onto him around his waist. Stiles waved him away and Theo ran inside the Animal Clinic to grab the fire extinguisher, wrenching it from the wall. Stiles had stood up, but was bent over, hands on his knees, still coughing. Theo moved quickly to put out the fires. He dropped the canister as Stiles wiped his mouth, looking at him.

“Theo...”

“They got Josh, the body's gone. I’m sorry.” He sounded defeated, and Stiles looked at the burnt doors of the Animal Hospital. 

“Theo... Thanks.” Stiles walked over to him, grimacing at the damage done to him. “Your face…”

“It’ll heal.” He blinked when Stiles grabbed him, hugging him tight. “Anything for you, Stiles.” Theo pulled away after a moment, and looked at the Jeep. “I think I can flip it.”

“Ok.” Stiles stared despondently at the wrecked vehicle. “Roscoe.” Theo moved around to the side and rocked the Jeep back and forth until, with a grunt, he managed to flip the vehicle back onto its tires. “You are the worst werewolf bodyguard ever...” Stiles muttered, wincing at the sound of more glass breaking. “Still the best boyfriend I’ve ever had though.”

Theo looked at him, chest heaving, face bloody and bruised, but he still managed a smirk. “Malia said that you’ve never even had a boyfriend before.”

Stiles blinked and grumbled under his breath. “Yeah. You’re still the best though.” He touched his face and grimaced at the tacky blood. “I should clean up.” He pulled up his shirt to wipe his face clean, but Theo reached out to stop him. 

“No, don’t do that.”

“Theo, I’m covered in blood and dirt and smoke!” He complained.

“I like you like that.” The chimera grinned at him.

Stiles stared at him, “What, covered in your blood?”

“Exactly.” Theo’s lips were parted, his pulse racing, eyes wide and eager.

“You’re fucked up, Theo Raeken.” Stiles muttered.

“Hehe, you hadn’t figured that out already, Stiles Stilinski?” He replied, smirking, and pulled Stiles towards him, kissing him hard, glorying in the metallic taste against his lips, sucking on the sweet flesh under the Alpha’s ear, right by his jaw, making Stiles moan involuntarily…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Christmas update! Not sure if I'll be putting up a chapter next weekend. But I do have something else I'm working on at the moment; my Stackson winter fic. But I'll be back to this shortly, either way. Thanks for reading and commenting!


	8. Knowledge

Stiles gasped as Theo pressed harder against him, his lips bruised and tingling, the chimera’s hands gripping his hard-on through his trousers. He had closed his eyes, losing himself in the feeling of Theo’s lips and tongue pressing against his neck, until a strange sound reached his ears. Stiles’ eyes snapped open, pushing Theo backwards suddenly. “What are you doing?”

Theo stepped back, wiping his mouth clean with the back of his hand, transferring the blood from his tongue to his skin. He looked at the red staining his hands, watching it creep into all the little cracks and crevices in his flesh. His lips parted slightly, mesmerised as he continued to ignore Stiles’ questioning stare. Theo blinked, glancing at him, his jaw clenching when he saw the Alpha’s eyes burn threateningly. “Sorry. I got carried away.” He muttered.

Stiles reached up to touch his face where Theo’s blood had splattered across it, his hands came away moist. “Wait, were you…Did you just…Were you licking me?” He stuttered accusingly. Theo stared at the ground and Stiles frowned as he heard Theo’s heart beating faster, his eyes were a glowing purple unknown to the Alpha. “Look at me.”

“Yes, Stiles?” The chimera felt his head being pulled upwards unwillingly.

“Well? What were you just doing?”

Theo cleaned his bottom lip with his thumb, another smear of blood across his tanned skin. He tore his eyes away from the sight and locked onto Stiles’. “I, um. You said you wanted to clean the blood off...”

“So, you were licking my face? Do you have some kind of blood fetish or something?” Stiles half laughed, but Theo looked at him seriously. “Really?”

“Um, no, maybe, kinda, I just like the way it looks.” He explained, glancing down at his hands. “Like, it’s all over your face and hands and stuff, and it changes colour as it dries, and it looks kinda cool, I don’t…I’ve never, uh, I’ve never explained it to someone before.”

“Uh.” _Holy shit, did I just embarrass him? He’s been so nonchalant and calm this whole time!_

“You’re creeped out.”

“No, no, it’s um, it’s just different.” Stiles broke their eye contact, his brows knitting together as he thought about it. “I mean, I can kinda understand why; you’re surrounded by the Dread Doctors cutting teenagers up, and your claws are really sharp so-”

“Stiles, I just-”

“No. No, I don’t really want to hear anymore, right now.” Stiles interrupted Theo, waving his hands. “But, uh, just so we’re clear, you’re not swallowing, right?”

“What? No!” Theo shook his head, “I’m not a vampire!”

“Good, good. They don’t exist, do they?”

“Stiles.” Theo smirked, looking more like the teenager Stiles was used to. “Don’t be silly.”

“Yeah. _Silly_.” The Alpha moved past him and stared miserably at his Jeep, changing the subject quickly. “This sucks.”

“It’s not too badly damaged though; it can be fixed, right? It’s not as if it caught fire.”

“What?” Stiles glanced at him, frowning. “What do you mean? Everything was on fire.”

“Well, whoever-whatever-took the body was covered in flames, so it’s just some shattered glass and the damaged doors.” Theo moved closer to him, but Stiles brushed him away dismissively. 

“No, uh,” The Alpha glanced at him quickly, “I mean, what you just did was kinda creepy but, it was also kinda affectionate, so I’m not mad. But, um, but let me see if I can start the engine before any other, err, cleaning!” He laughed under his breath, moving away from Theo.

“Ok.” Theo muttered quietly, but his expression flickered. _Did I just blow it? That’s what happens when you relax, Theo, you lose control,_ the chimera berated himself silently as Stiles peered into the driver’s foot-well. Theo looked back at him as Stiles sat down heavily on the gravel again. “We should get you to the hospital, you took in a lot of smoke, not to mention the knock on the head.”

“No, it’s fine, you took more damage than me, anyway.” Stiles stared at the ground moodily. He looked up as Theo crouched beside him, the chimera looking genuinely concerned. 

“Does my face look damaged to you?” He offered Stiles a smile, “Ignore the blood and smoke though.”

“Hmm, same as always, pretty much perfect.” Stiles replied, looking him over. 

“Says the guy with the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen!” Theo laughed and patted his knee warmly. “Here’s your cell phone by the way, I grabbed it from inside.” Stiles nodded his thanks as Theo looked at the Jeep again, “Let’s see if it’ll start.”

The chimera helped him stand, and Theo saw the way Stiles staggered a little, but he didn’t bring up going to the hospital again. He released Stiles, and together they inspected the bent and twisted doors of the Jeep, the seats were covered in broken glass, and the windshield had a large crack in the center. The wheels were still intact, but as Theo tried to lift the hood, there was a screech of metal on metal. “No good, it’s jammed. Sorry.”

“It’s not your fault, Theo. If I had been paying attention, doing my job, not trying to…” He didn’t finish the sentence aloud. _If you hadn’t been trying to get into his pants so bad, your Jeep wouldn’t be fucked up, if you had just-_

_Yeah, I know! You’re not helping._

_Didn’t think I was here to help, Stiles._

“Gah!” He growled aloud, anger racing through his body suddenly as he kicked the side of the door. “Fucking Jeep!”

“Stiles!” Theo was over to him, hugging him from behind. “It’s alright, you can use my truck for as long as you want.”

Stiles hung his head, letting Theo take his weight for a moment, the rage draining out of him as quickly as it had appeared. He sighed, muttering, “It’s not just that. Everything’s going wrong: Scott, my Dad, what happened with Donovan.”

“Everything?”

Stiles glanced back at him, “No, I suppose not.”

“Well, we should-” As Theo was speaking a burst from the police scanner cut across him. 

“All units, be advised, the suspect from the one-eight-seven has been brought into custody…” There was a crackle of static as Stiles moved forward, adjusting the dials. Theo frowned at him, hearing the jump in his pulse. The officer spoke again, “…repeat, suspect’s name is Kira Yukimura.” 

“What?” Stiles muttered to himself. “This…no way.” He could feel Theo standing behind him, hearing the crunch of gravel as the chimera approached him again. There was a tug on his sleeve as Theo tried to get his attention. 

“Stiles? What’s a one-eight-seven?”

“Homicide.”

Theo pressed his lips together thoughtfully and stepped back. “What do you want to do?”

Stiles moistened his lips and glanced back at him. “Did you bring your car?”

“Yeah, I parked it way back on one of the Forestry access roads, like you told me to.”

“Good, let's go.” He reached into the Jeep to grab his keys and wallet. 

“What about your Jeep?” Theo asked as Stiles started to walk. He jogged after him when the Alpha didn't turn back.

“Leave it, we'll come back for it in the morning, Scott needs us now.” He glanced at Theo, seeing his expression flicker between agreement and irritation. “Regardless of what you, uh, of what we might have said about him before, he’s still the Alpha of the pack, and Kira’s my friend. Besides, my Dad might have a better idea of what’s going on.”

“Kira killing someone though?” Theo shook his head, “I don't see how that could be true. Although...”

“What?” Stiles reached into his pocket for his phone, flicking on the flashlight before realising he didn’t need it. The gravel road to the Preserve was illuminated as though the full moon was out. He looked up at the cloudy night and frowned confusedly. “Hang on, it’s totally dark here normally, but I can see fine.”

“So?”

“So, I always needed my phone’s light to avoid breaking my ankle on these big-ass rocks.” He bit his nail nervously, glancing at Theo again, “This is a chimera power, isn’t it?”

“Yeah.” Theo nodded, “The Dread Doctors said that you’d have some limited improvements to your senses, and that they’d improve until you can see or hear as well as a werewolf, but it’s dependant on how many chimeras are near you.”

“Hmm.” Stiles digested the information, walking slowly across the stony trail. “How many?”

“Huh?”

“How many chimeras will it take?”

“Um, five. They think that they Overmind will perform at optimal efficiency and effectiveness with five chimeras near you.” Theo explained as he pointed to where his truck was parked. “Essentially, each will boost your power and the range in which you can control them.”

“Theo,” Stiles stopped, looking at him seriously, “We need to talk about your connection to the Dread Doctors. I don’t like that you’re still working for them.”

“I’m on your side, Stiles, I’ve told you that before, but we’re not ready to take them head on yet.” He smiled at the Alpha, “Until that time, I’m there to find us the chimeras we’re going to need. Besides, the best way to destroy your enemy is to cripple it from inside.” _I thought that was the plan for the pack, hmm?_ Theo ignored the treacherous thought that flew across his mind and instead focused on how Stiles was nodding reluctantly.

“Fine, but you have to tell me everything.”

“Sure.” He dug out his keys. “Later, I’ll tell you anything I can.”

“Good.” Stiles opened the passenger side door. “Now, what were you going to say about Kira, before?”

“Oh, yeah. So, you remember last week when we were reading the book at Scott’s and we all fell asleep?”

Stiles nodded. “Uh huh.”

“Right, uh, I overheard Kira talking in her sleep-Japanese, I think-and I recorded it.”

“You did what? That is so-”

“I know, I know, but I was curious and I didn’t want to tell you in case it wasn’t anything.” He started the engine, reversing out onto the trail slowly. “She was talking about how she was the ‘Messenger of Death’, right, and I told Scott about it.”

“So? That doesn’t mean she killed someone.”

“Yeah, but Scott even said that he didn’t think he could trust her anymore; something about how she was gonna kill some kid in the club or something?” He acted confused, remembering the details the Doctors had shared with him about that night. 

“Lucas.” Stiles nodded, then he frowned, staring at Theo. “There’s something you’re not telling me.”

“What? No, that’s-”

“Theo.” The Alpha barked at him sternly and Stiles smirked as he saw the chimera glare at him. “Tell me what you really know. What do the Dread Doctors know about Kira?”

“This is one of those questions, huh, Stiles?” Theo looked at the steering wheel before continuing. “The night of the storm, when we first met, again, Kira was in the traffic jam with me and my parents. And so were the Dread Doctors. She was the first of you they got to.”

“What did they do to her? She’s already a supernatural.”

“I’m not sure, they never told me. I just saw them injecting a bolt of lightning into her eye.” He saw Stiles’ cynical look. “I know how that sounds, but it’s what happened. Maybe it was designed to disrupt her powers, keep her off balance? Kira can harness lightning and that type of elemental energy can disrupt the Doctors’ frequencies.”

“Really?” Stiles replied thoughtfully. “Good to know. Thanks for telling me. That’s how the double agent thing works, you know?”

“Yeah, I know.”

Stiles gestured for him to start driving as he pulled out his cell phone, “I’ll message Scott and tell him we’re heading to the station, he can meet us there.”

“I wonder if they were successful tonight?” Theo mumbled as they left the access road and climbed onto the main road. Stiles shrugged, fingers tapping away. “I guess we’ll see.”

 

Theo pulled into the Sheriff Station parking lot as Stiles huffed irritably. “What is it?”

“Text from Malia, says not to come over to Scott’s, he’s working on some sort of plan to get Liam and Hayden back. They’ve been kidnapped.” Stiles added, not looking up.

“What?” Theo barked at him, “Fuck, Stiles. Lead with that next time. Kidnapped by who?”

“Who do you think?” Stiles glanced at him. “They screwed up the plan, which from the sounds of it was less about keeping Hayden safe and more about trying to capture a Doctor.”

“Shit.” He muttered, shaking his head. “Fools. They couldn’t.”

“No, so the Doctors took Hayden. She’s a chimera, right?” Theo nodded and Stiles continued, speaking his thoughts aloud. “But, Liam? He’s a werewolf, why him?”

“I don’t know, they might simply be curious about him: werewolves are the building blocks of all chimeras. We all, except you, have a little werewolf in us.” He paused, before adding, “He’s strong, I saw that in the woods, that night; very strong for a Beta. We should try and get them back, yeah?”

“Yeah.” Stiles replied bluntly, his chest tightening uncomfortably. He ignored Theo’s frown as a half-forgotten memory rose through the fog of his mind. _That was months ago, Stiles, let it go._ “So, um. Oh, hang on, it’s Lydia. Yeah? Hey, Lydia…No, I’m with Theo. No, it was a bust, we didn’t find anything out other than the monster is mean and likes flipping Jeeps…I’m fine, really!” He looked at Theo, rolling his eyes as the chimera smirked in reply. “Look, Lydia, what’s happening with Scott? Does he…Oh. Well, yeah, I mean, if the trail is cold, then I’d agree with that.” Stiles nodded at Theo, holding the phone to his chest. “Lydia thinks we should resume the search tomorrow morning.”

“Yeah, we’re all tired.”

“Right, uh, Theo just said we’re all tired,” Stiles spoke into the phone again, “Look, tell him we’ll be there at seven with coffee, and ready to find them. Doing anything when we’re this exhausted is just stupid. Yeah, yeah, ok, see you in a few hours.” He hung up and sighed. “She’ll try and convince him, but Scott won’t rest until he finds them. Will he find them?”

“Maybe.” Theo shrugged, “You can’t find the Dread Doctors’ lab without having been there, and remembering it.”

“You’ve been there.”

“Of course, but how exactly are you planning to let Scott know that I know, without telling him everything?” Theo looked at him, seeing Stiles scowl in response. “And I’m not just talking about Donovan here, I’m talking about you being the Alpha Chimera. Scott is a pretty simple guy, Stiles, and right now he’s super-stressed out. I don’t think he’s going to be able to rationalise this.”

“So, what do you suggest?” 

“We wait, see what they come up with. I won’t stand in your way, I’ll help bring them back, we need another chimera, especially one who’ll be close to you and amplify your power without Scott or the rest of the pack being aware of it.” Theo laid out his strategy as he started the truck again. “Are you ok with that?”

“That is…well, that’s about the best plan we’ve got right now.” Stiles muttered grudgingly. “Hey, this isn’t the way back to my house.”

“I know,” He looked at Stiles, “We’re going to mine, if that’s ok?”

“What about your parents? It’s 3a.m.”

“I have no curfew and they’re probably asleep.” Theo smirked at him, _If they know what’s good for them…_ “They’re really heavy sleepers, plus we’re closer to Scott’s house from here. Well, equal distance between your and Scott’s houses.”

Stiles decided not to reply to that, instead letting Theo talk about nothing, his thoughts drifting towards what was happening to Liam and Hayden at that very moment.

 

Theo stood at the end of the bed where his “parents” were asleep. He had told Stiles the truth; that they wouldn’t care what time he came home at. But they didn’t sleep nearly as heavy as he would like. _However she has learned not to complain about the noise I make anymore. Besides, her cooking has improved despite the loss of use in that hand._ Theo smiled viciously to himself as he pulled the syringe from his jacket pocket, the bottle was in his hands already. Extracting enough for the two adults, he moved closer, injecting the man first, then leaning over to dose the woman. He paused when he noticed her eyes were wide open, the stench of fear covering the bed, but Theo simply grinned, his fangs bared and injected her too. “Sleep well, now, I don’t want any interruptions.” The chimera whispered softly and backed out of the room, tossing the needle into the trash can.

Stiles crouched down beside Theo’s PlayStation, flicking through the games stacked beside it. _All new, like brand new._ He stood up, the other chimera had gone to get them something to eat, and used the opportunity to inspect Theo’s room. Stiles looked at the posters on the wall, there was something off about them, _Placed there because that’s what teenage boys like? Or because he really likes sports cars?_ He asked himself, as the feelings of unease climbed. The room was tidy too, only the crumpled duvet covering the bed gave any indication that it was lived in. Stiles wandered over to it, glancing at the locker beside the bed; an empty glass, an alarm clock, some tissues, and… _Is that my library card?_ He picked up the ID, seeing his goofy grin and frowned. The edges were flecked with blood and he realised he must have dropped it during the struggle with Donovan. _Well, it’s not like there’s been much studying lately._ He looked up as Theo pushed open the door, a stack of cookies in his hands. 

“Hey, fresh-baked…Oh.” 

“Where did you get this?” Stiles asked, showing him the ID.

“I told you, after Donovan was sacrificed, I went through the crime scene, destroyed your prints, I tossed the wrench in the lake, and I took your ID for safe-keeping.” Theo explained.

“And you keep it beside your bed because…?”

“Err, well it’s not like you ever send me selfies, Stiles!” He replied awkwardly, a rush of heat creeping up his neck. “I like looking at it before I go to sleep, ok?”

“Ok.” Stiles smirked at him, the expression turning into a genuine smile as he looked at the card. “I’ll take it with me, but, uh, keep an eye out for that selfie!”

Theo looked up, a grin brightening his face and nodded eagerly. “Here’s a cookie.” He handed Stiles a few of them. “Made this afternoon, by the looks of it. Enjoy!” 

“Thanks.” He bit into one carefully, then grinned at the chocolate chip taste. “Nice! Your Mom do that a lot? Bake for you, I mean?”

“Yeah, I guess.” Theo brushed the question off quickly. _Stick to the plan, Theo, careful now._ “Do you want to change or are you ok?”

“I’m fine. Hey, will you remind me to call my Dad in the morning? Aside from the twenty missed calls, he’ll be able to find someone to tow my Jeep to the mechanic.” Stiles sighed and sat beside him on the bed. “So, you know where Liam and Hayden are. But how do we get Scott to know without telling him?”

“You’re not just going to offer me up?” Theo asked him, a little surprised. But Stiles smiled at him and shook his head, biting off another corner of the cookie. “Wow. Thanks.”

The Alpha hesitated for a moment, but then placed his hand on Theo’s. “We’re in this together, whatever _this_ is. We’ll figure it out, make it work, and I’ll admit that I’m curious about the chimera powers I have.”

“Ah,” Theo smirked at him, adding cryptically, “Yeah, you have power, and the potential for great power.” 

Stiles’ eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”

“The Doctors believe that the Overmind is different to the other chimeras, not merely because it can control them, or the fact that it’s based on something older and more powerful than a werewolf, but because you can evolve. Real evolution, Stiles!” He stood up quickly, and Stiles saw his eyes burn with excitement. “They said that the Overmind harnesses all of its power when at full strength: surrounded by five chimeras!” _Well, not in so many words…_ Theo moistened his lips and grinned at Stiles. “Mimicry is what they called it; whatever chimera is nearest to you, you can imitate their powers.” _With a little augmentative surgery, sure._

“That sounds…painful.” Stiles winced as the image of werewolf claws and poison stingers collided in his mind. “Ok, calm down, Theo, they are taking kids against their will and turning them into monsters.”

“Not monsters, Stiles, the ones that survive are-”

“Exactly, Theo, the ones who **survive**!” Stiles responded quickly, “Just what exactly are they doing? Why are they dying? Why are we the only ones who aren’t murderous and crazy?”

“Every chimera is different, but you’re right. For all their experiments, they’ve only ever gotten two chimeras out of it and you were specially chosen.” Theo explained with a shrug.

“What do you mean? Why was I chosen?”

“Ah, sorry, I didn’t mean to.” Theo mumbled and bit his lip, “Uh, the Dread Doctors, and me too, we know about the Nogitsune.”

“Oh.” Stiles avoided looking at him completely, staring at the floor. 

Theo knelt in front of him, hands on Stiles’ knees. “If you were still possessed by that evil fox, they would have just drained you and killed you, instead they saw a chance to make you better, greater than any chimera, the power to match your intelligence, and restraint to go with it.”

Stiles blinked at Theo’s compliments, replying gruffly, “Thanks.”

“Will we get some sleep?” Theo asked him softly, pulling Stiles to his feet. “I know it’s a lot to take in, but once there’s more of us, you’ll see how awesome you really are, Stiles!”

Stiles frowned at him, but couldn’t help grinning. “What’s with the love bombing, Theo? I’m gonna sleep with you anyway.”

“Uh.” Theo blinked surprised, but Stiles just laughed.

“Really? I’ve already sucked you off, I think we’re beyond bedroom shyness.”

“Yeah, but that was, you were…it’s different!” 

“Because I’m awake and willing?” Stiles kicked off his shoes and pulled off his t-shirt, feeling Theo’s gaze linger on his bare chest. “C’mon then. Take ‘em off!”

“Fine.” Theo returned the grin and he was standing in his trunks by the time Stiles had unbuckled his belt. “Who’s slow now?”

“Hmm, ok.” Stiles looked pointedly at the bed and Theo pulled down the quilt. “As fun as this is, Theo, we should probably just sleep. It wouldn’t feel right with Liam and Hayden missing.”

Theo looked at him for a moment and then nodded. “Yeah, I suppose you’re right. Maybe we’ll have a normal few days once we get them back?”

“Keep dreaming, this is Beacon Hills!” Stiles laughed and climbed onto the soft bed as Theo turned off the lights. He moved backwards slightly once the other chimera got in behind him, Theo’s stomach pressing comfortably against his back, hands clasped, fingers intertwined. Sleep came almost immediately as Stiles felt himself drifting off, Theo’s warmth behind him, strong arms wrapped protectively around him. 

 

“…Then, Theo pulled me out and flipped the Jeep back over.” Stiles finished explaining what had happened the night before as Malia stared at first him and then Theo. Lydia simply pressed her lips together and frowned. “So, none of our plans worked out last night?”

“No,” Lydia shook her head, “Scott is on his way back, and Mason is upstairs with Corey, reading the book.”

“Corey.” Stiles muttered. _So that’s it, the strange tingle I’ve been feeling all morning? Is it him?_ Aloud, he asked, “Is he a chimera?”

“Yes, Mason found out, and Scott thinks that maybe he was made into a…whatever, when he was in the hospital after Lucas.”

“So, he might have been taken to their lab? Or lair?” Theo asked, exchanging a look with Stiles. “If he reads the book, he might remember, it’s a good plan.”

“He still has to read the book.” Lydia replied carefully. She was about to continue when the door opened and Scott strode in, deep rings under his eyes. “Ah, Stiles and Theo are-”

“I can see that.” He interrupted her, moving towards them. “Malia, did you check the school again?”

“Yes, still no sign.”

“Damn it.” Scott glared at them angrily.

“Hey, Scott, is Kira ok?” Stiles asked gently, catching his friend’s eye.

The werewolf gave a short laugh, “Ask your father, he's the one who called it in: murder with Kira’s sword.”

“Oh, I-”

“Save it, Stiles, I just want to find Liam and Hayden right now.”

Stiles looked taken aback and felt his senses sharpen, an invisible tug from Theo's direction as the chimera tried to rein in his sudden anger. He looked towards his boyfriend, seeing the chimera’s fists curled into a ball. _Relax, relax, if this thing works by mind control, fucking relax, Theo!_ He blinked as Theo’s hands loosened and breathed a sigh of relief. 

“How far has he gotten?” Scott demanded from Lydia.

“I’ll go check.” She moved towards the stairs as Malia excused herself and walked towards the bathroom. Scott lingered with them for a moment before he followed Lydia upstairs.

“Phew.” Stiles let out a rush of air, wiping the sweat from his upper lip. “That was…he’s obviously under a lot of stress.”

“He shouldn’t talk to you like that though,” Theo muttered. Stiles smiled at him and Theo’s expression softened. He looked upwards, his voice dropping to barely above a whisper. “Do you feel it, Stiles? Two chimeras, close to you, do you feel any different?”

“I feel it,” Stiles nodded slowly, “Yeah, a bit, it's not the same though; with you my senses are amped up, and I thought with another one, it would multiply it or something? I don't know.” He shrugged, sitting on the arm of the sofa.

“It might be because he hasn't been Awoken.” Theo explained, glancing around to make sure they were still alone. “The Dread Doctors told me that you could do that naturally to the chimeras they built. Maybe you could try that with Corey?”

“Maybe.” Stiles muttered softly to himself. He looked at Theo, “Can you get Scott and Malia outta here, though, I don't want to...”

“Yeah, anything for you Stiles.” Theo smiled at him, leaning in to kiss him softly. Stiles grinned back at him, shaking his head slightly. He looked over Theo’s shoulder as Scott returned from upstairs. Their eyes met for a moment, but the werewolf quickly looked away. 

“Theo, you and Malia should search the woods again, I’m going to do another circuit of the school, the hospital, and the police station, see if I can at least get a scent.” Scott barked the orders at them, gesturing vaguely at Stiles. “Will you stay here and call as soon as Corey remembers something? Everyone meet back here in an hour.” He left without another word and Stiles nodded at Theo, watching the chimera walk out the door, his senses dulling with every step further away from him.

 

Stiles sat with Lydia in Scott’s sitting room, although they didn’t speak much. He looked up at the ceiling now and again, frowning each time. He could feel Corey there, just as he could feel Theo, but both were like shapes in the fog; ethereal and vague. As he concentrated, the Alpha Chimera could almost feel another presence further out, the name _Hayden_ clicking with him after a few seconds. She was just out of reach, her position unknown, like the answer to a question being on the tip of his tongue. _Perhaps Theo knows more about it, he was certainly full of information last night._ The buzz of a cell phone made him look down. Lydia picked hers up and clicked her tongue.

“Scott wants to know if there’s any progress? He’ll be back in ten minutes, apparently.” She looked at him. “I’ll go check.”

“No, no, I’ll do it.” Stiles gestured for her to remain sitting. _Let’s try this awakening stuff out._ The Alpha Chimera thought to himself as he climbed the stairs. Mason slipped out of the room when he saw Stiles, pointing towards the bathroom. Stiles nodded and leaned on the door, studying Corey carefully. He closed his eyes as the feeling of his senses sharpening swept across him again, like how it was around Theo. Stiles blinked and a smile tugged at his lips, Corey must have felt him watching because he looked up.

“Uh, I’m nearly there.”

“What do you think of it?” Stiles asked, tilting his head to one side.

“Um,” Corey smiled nervously, “It’s kinda creepy, and I don’t understand how reading this will help find Liam or Hayden.”

“Hmm.” Stiles moved into the room and knelt down on one knee in front of the chimera, as Corey stared at him. But the Alpha Chimera simply looked back at him, instinct taking over as his eyes flared purple, one hand reaching out to tilt Corey's head towards him. Stiles felt his lips twitch into a smile as the chimera’s eyes glowed yellow in response. His expression smoothed out and Stiles watched in fascination as the teenager relaxed completely, the book falling out of his hands.

“Command me, Alpha.” Corey spoke the words by rote, his eyes not leaving Stiles’ otherworldly purple orbs.

“You guys really need to stop saying that in public.” Stiles muttered, then he touched Corey’s hand hesitantly. “Do you know where the Dread Doctors' lab is, Corey?”

“No. I don’t remember, Alpha.” His reply was soft, quiet.

“Ok, do you know what you can do? What abilities you have? What type you are?”

“No.”

“Hmm, you’re definitely a chimera, though.” He considered Corey’s innocent gaze, _Cute as anything,_ “You’d be the perfect assassin, no one would ever suspect you.” Stiles muttered half to himself.

“Is that your command, Alpha?” 

“What? No! No, uh,” Stiles shook his head, instead pushing the photocopied pages back into the chimera’s hands. The Alpha froze, hearing footsteps approaching the stairs, but muffled as though he was hearing them through cotton wool buds. Stiles glanced at Corey and smirked. _Alpha powers! Well, almost._ “Just act normal, and you’ll be ok, Corey.”

“Yes, Alpha.” He whispered, eyes fading and unglazing, blinking at him.

“Call me Stiles, please.” He stood up, then looked back at Corey as the chimera watched him innocently. “At least, when we’re around Scott and the others.”

“Sure, Stiles.”

Stiles frowned at the sudden grin that Corey gave him. “Uh, keep reading, you might actually remember something.” He looked back as the door opened and Lydia entered.

“Scott wants to know if he knows anything.” She gestured at Corey. “He’s downstairs, just arrived back.”

“Doesn’t seem to be working,” Stiles replied normally, shrugging. “Has Theo returned yet?”

“They’re right behind him.” Lydia gestured and she and Stiles walked out of the room as Corey turned a page, his brows pulled together, concentrating on the book. “Do you think this will work?”

“I don’t know,” Stiles ran a hand through his hair, “Maybe? Like a lot of things lately we don’t seem to have much of an alternative.” Mason edged back into the room and gave Stiles a small smile of thanks, as he took up his previous position beside Corey. The Alpha Chimera frowned at him. _There's something there, a hint of..._ His thoughts were disrupted as Scott took the stairs two at a time, brushing past them into the room, his expression locked in one of fury and impatience, Stiles could almost put a smell with the emotion now. Frowning, the Alpha Chimera moved around Scott to see Theo and Malia standing around the sink, gulping down water. Theo raised his hand in greeting and Stiles nodded. “Scott? He’s still reading, he’ll get there, but he needs another few hours.”

“We don't have any more time!” Scott growled, his claws flicking out. 

Stiles blinked, but Lydia seemed to know what the werewolf was planning as she yelled out, “No Scott, don't!”

Scott slid his claws into the back of Corey's neck, right along the spinal column. The chimera gasped and gurgled, his face turning from transfixed horror to unawareness in seconds. Stiles felt his stomach drop as the sharpness to his world was lost, and his vision slid into a blurred confusion of shapes and colours. He turned away as Malia skidded to a halt alongside Lydia.

Theo was last in the door, grabbing Stiles and holding him upright. “Stiles?” He whispered softly, pushing his chin upwards with his thumb, his gaze locking onto the Alpha Chimera's orbs of purple fire. Theo could feel Stiles' will surrounding him, commanding him to pull Scott away from their fellow chimera. _No, no, no, Stiles! Not yet, hold it together, control yourself!_ Stiles' hands were balled into tight fists, his veins bulging from under the skin, Theo gritted his teeth and flicked out his claws to cut a shallow gash across Stiles' hand. The Alpha Chimera grunted softly, his eyes returning to their natural brown. 

Stiles looked at Theo and nodded, glancing up to see that no one else had noticed them because they were captivated by Scott’s actions. In the twenty seconds it had taken Theo to pull him back from the brink, the werewolf had dragged Corey to the middle of the room, sinking his claws in deeper.

He moved forward, burying his hand in his pocket and used his other hand to gesture for Theo to follow him in and go to the side. Stiles stood beside Lydia, unable to hide his grimace as he looked at Corey’s face. The chimera was in pain and the Alpha Chimera looked straight at him. _Ok, this seemed to work last time, even if it’s not mind control, maybe I just need to think it to get those bio-chemical…whatever Theo called them, working. Corey, you just need to relax, just hold on, you’re going to be fine. You need to stop resisting him. That’s it. Good boy, that’s it, Corey._ Stiles felt his lips part slightly as he saw Corey’s jaw slacken and the rest of his expression smooth out.

Theo glanced between Stiles and Corey, feeling his own heart beat a little slower as Stiles managed to get Corey to relax. He walked around them, keeping well clear of Scott as he frowned at the werewolf. “What is he doing?”

“Tapping into Corey's memories,” Lydia answered him, but kept watching Scott. “It's usually something only Alphas do.”

He tilted his head until he could see the werewolf’s claws buried in the chimera’s neck, beads of blood pooling on his skin. Theo could feel Stiles’ eyes on him, the restraint on his muscles, slow to respond, as though they were made of lead. Theo straightened up, glancing at Corey's pained expression and then at Scott's concentrated frown. He looked back at the group gathered at the door. “Is it as dangerous as it looks?”

“It's probably more.” Stiles answered quickly, looking towards him, “That's why you shouldn't distract him. We don’t want Corey to get hurt.”

Theo nodded silently, getting the hint. Scott released him suddenly, gasping for air, stumbling backwards. Corey slumped forward, whimpering softly. Theo backed off, glancing at Stiles, but the Alpha Chimera shook his head. 

_No, no interference, don’t show our hand. Play it cool._ The thoughts were cold, calculating, but Stiles couldn't deny the wisdom of them. He grabbed Scott around the waist as the werewolf staggered towards the nearby cupboard, Theo moved over to help Lydia with Corey. Scott scrambled for paper and a pen, quickly drawing what details he could remember as Stiles looked between him and Theo.

Corey was panicked, his hand checking the broken skin on his neck. Theo propped him upright as the chimera looked at his bloodied fingers. “What the hell did you do to me?”

“You’ll be alright.” Scott muttered.

“There's blood!”

“You'll heal.”

“Scott-” Stiles started.

“He'll be fine!” Scott roared at him, his pen moving rapidly across the page, trying to write down everything he had just plucked from Corey's unwilling mind.

Stiles released him and backed away, shaking his head. He looked over at Theo and the chimera nodded carefully. _Unhurt then, good._ The Alpha Chimera watched as Corey looked first at Theo and then at him, his eyes widening as he made the connection, but he didn’t say anything aloud. Stiles smiled a little and turned back to Scott. “Well? Was it worth it? Do you know where they are?” 

“Yeah, I think so, at least I can see it in my mind’s eye.” He mumbled the words, showing Stiles the picture he drew. “There were pipes and tunnels, it was wet, dripping, industrial or maybe military or something underground. Here. This is the image that he has the strongest connection with.” 

Stiles frowned, nodding. “Yeah, I know it. I’ve been there before: Water Treatment Plant.” He glanced up at Theo, meeting his eyes, but the other chimera gave no indication if that was the Doctors’ true lair. “It’s got a skeleton staff since the cutbacks; my Dad’s always complaining about kids getting in there, so it should be easy to search.”

“Ok, let’s go.” Scott darted out the door as Malia and Mason followed.

“Uh, hang on a minute, Scott.” Stiles called after him, as he exchanged a look with Lydia. “Are you sure Mason should be going with you? Scott?”

 

“Look, I’m just saying we should be thinking for a minute here, before dashing off and-”

“Stiles, I’m not waiting around anymore!” Scott interrupted him bluntly. “They’ve been gone for over twelve hours, who knows what the Dread Doctors are doing to them right this very moment?”

“Ok, I get that, but you shouldn’t be bringing Mason.”

“Liam’s my best friend.” Mason shook his head furiously, “I’m going!”

“Oh, did you suddenly gain super-wolf powers or something? Because I wasn't aware of that development!” Stiles rebuked him and glared at Scott, even as a thought flashed across his mind. _And yet, there's something different about you, Mason._ He looked to his right as Theo stood beside him, his senses amped up by the chimera’s presence. Corey was behind him, not quite as potent, but the extra chimera gave him an edge, a boldness, that he hadn’t felt before. “Think about it, Scott, you were completely incapacitated last night without even getting close to them. Maybe this isn’t a trap, but you rushing in there, claws out and fangs ready won’t save Liam and Hayden. Please, let’s just sit down and come up with a better plan.”

“I can’t, Stiles. I need to go now.”

“Mason, you’re not ready for this.” Stiles appealed to the teenager, but he simply shook his head and Scott nodded approvingly.

“Look, Stiles, if you're not going, I'll need all the help I can get.”

“Of course, I'm coming,” Stiles replied exasperated, “I just need to talk to my Dad first. They’re moving the body and he wants to make sure that no one steals it, again. And yeah, we need to get Liam and Hayden back, but come on Scott, whoever or whatever is stealing the bodies is strong enough to flip my Jeep.” He heard the skip in Scott’s heart-beat, seeing the twitch in his expression, and looked at Lydia. “You didn’t tell him?”

“I didn’t have time, he was…” She trailed off.

“Right, yeah, well, the point is Scott, we need to figure this out. I’m going to the hospital and then I’ll join you.”

“And when will that be?” Scott snapped at him.

Theo glanced sideways at Stiles, but the Alpha Chimera could defend himself and Theo looked instead at Malia, feeling her eyes settling on him. He tilted his head questioningly and she looked at Scott, interrupting his snarky reply to Stiles.

“We can bring Theo.”

He blinked as though surprised, and saw Stiles looking at him, noticing how his boyfriend’s jaw tightened possessively. Theo looked away as a sudden pressure gripped his body, worse than before. It was like a fist of iron had gripped his spine, pulling him backwards. _He wants me to stay with him...a lot._ Theo moved closer to Stiles, making it look as though he didn’t want to leave his side. He saw Scott’s expression darken and the werewolf glared at him, waiting his reply. Theo shook his head, “Maybe I better stay here.” He looked at Stiles, then back at Scott. “You know, in case the Doctors decide to make a house call for Corey.” Theo glanced at the younger chimera and gave him what he hoped was a comforting smile. Corey flinched instead and Theo turned back to the others with a sigh. 

“Stiles is right, Scott.” Lydia spoke up, looking between them. “Don’t just rush in, we have to think about this.”

“I am thinking!” Scott replied hotly, “I'm thinking that Liam and Hayden could already be dead!”

“You could've hurt him, Scott. You could've really hurt him!”

Theo glanced at Scott and felt the corners of his mouth twitching upwards, but he quickly suppressed the smile before it could give him away. _Your pack is crumbling around you, Scott. Maybe if you took better care of your friends, they wouldn’t…well, now that your best friend is one of my kind, I’ve almost already won. Almost._

“I have to find them!” Scott turned on his heel and walked out the door, ignoring Stiles and Lydia’s objections. Malia and Mason followed him wordlessly.

“Damn it Scott!” Stiles muttered under his breath, looking at Lydia, “They could be walking into a trap right now!”

“I know,” She replied heavily.

“Ok, listen, guys, I really should head over to the hospital and talk to my Dad, see if he has anything on the missing bodies or Kira.” He gestured for Theo to follow him, adding. “Can I borrow your truck, Theo?”

“Of course, uh, c’mon.” He followed Stiles outside and handed over the keys. “What do you want me to do?”

“Exactly what you said: stay with Corey, try and see if you can figure out what he is. I, uh, I think I Awoke him. His eyes glowed and everything.” Stiles rubbed his chin, “He also did that whole, ‘Command me, Alpha,’ thing. Are you all going to do that?”

“First time, probably, yeah. I’ll look after him.”

“Good, don’t lose my chimera, Theo.” Stiles smirked at him and Theo returned the expression. 

“I won’t, Stiles.”

 

“No, it just flipped over and the insurance is good for it. No way, just fix it, I’m not getting a new one.” Stiles pushed through the hospital doors as the guy on the other end of the phone laid out the bill. “Yeah, yeah, that’s fine. Yes, I know it’s burnt. Well, you tell me, man, you're the mechanic!” Stiles stopped in the middle of the hallway, seeing his dad exiting the lift at the other end. “If the gas tank didn't rupture and none of the electrics are fried, then how did the fire start?” _Good luck getting a decent answer, fire monsters are not a common problem._ He ignored the thought and listened to the stuttering for a moment, fuming, “Spontaneous combustion? That's your answer?! Are you freaking kidding me?!” He finished angrily, even as his father pulled the phone from his hands. “Dad, come on! That guy was-”

“What are you doing here?” His father was grim faced.

“Dad, you gotta leave the body, ok?” Stiles tried to warn him, “Just leave it, and let whoever is taking it, take it, ok?” He looked around and lowered his voice, “Walking fire monsters.” Stiles leaning back out, nodding solemnly. 

“I…” The Sheriff's jaw clenched angrily and he turned away, “I'm doing my job, Stiles.”

“Look, Dad, there’s something out there made of fire and is strong enough to flip Jeeps like they weigh nothing, I don’t think shotguns are going to help here.” He followed his father down the hallway. “Besides, you've been real busy; arresting people you know are innocent.”

“Go home.” The Sheriff ordered firmly. “Now.” Stiles ignored the order and joined him in the elevator defiantly. “This is not up for debate.”

“Well, I'm not leaving.”

The Sheriff sighed irritably and Stiles looked ahead resolutely. The door closed and his father turned to him. “You know, Clark mentioned something about key cards for the library...” He let the sentence trail off and looked at Stiles expectantly.

Stiles frowned, appearing intrigued even as his stomach dropped and his pulse spiked suddenly. The uncomfortable feeling of his palms sweating caused him to wipe them on his pants, but he immediately noticed his father’s eyes dart to the action. _Control, Stiles, control._

“Do you all have after-hours access?” The Sheriff asked carefully.

Stiles nodded, “Yeah, yeah, all Seniors do, I'd, uh, I'd show you mine, but I lost it a few weeks ago.” He looked his father in the eye, searching for some sign, some flicker of recognition that he was aware of Donovan's murder, that he knew Stiles was lying to him. _Really wish I had a chimera nearby, could do with those enhanced senses right now._ There! _Oh shit!_ He saw the micro-expression as the muscle above his father’s eye twitched and Stiles knew he was busted. He held his breath, lips pushed together, but the Sheriff didn’t say anything else, and Stiles put his hand into his pocket, feeling the shape of the key card in his wallet.

 

Theo watched with interest as Lydia pulled away the wet cloth she had used to clean the blood from Corey’s neck. He blinked as she exchanged a glance with him. Corey stiffened, staring woodenly ahead. “It healed, didn't it?”

“Yeah,” Theo nodded, “Completely.” His arms were folded as Corey stood up. The other chimera had been content to wait with them while Lydia made a fuss over his wounds, but Theo could see that Corey was getting agitated. _But what are you, Corey? Not a werewolf, or were-coyote, you don’t have the build for those. An exotic, maybe? A special project. Hmm. But Stiles likes you, and if keeping someone like you alive will get him to accept power, I can live with that._ He nodded to himself as Lydia dumped the blood-smeared towel in the sink. 

Corey stood up and Theo stared at him, hearing his pulse quicken, the sudden wave of anger rushing off him. “Ok, it's been fun,” Corey faced them, but was looking at Theo, “Especially the part where a werewolf forced himself into my brain with his claws.” He moved to leave, but Theo walked over to intercept him.

“Uh, I don't think leaving is such a good idea, Corey.” 

“Why not?”

“Well, for starters the Doctors are still out there, and-”

“I heard Mason,” Corey broke in, “And Stiles, they both said Liam and Hayden were taken while being ‘protected.’”

Theo frowned at his fingers as they gestured. “Ok, but Lydia here is a banshee. She sees people’s deaths, and you leaving…” He gave a twisted grin. “Lydia, why don’t you tell him what will happen if he leaves?”

“Oh, um. It would be bad. Very bad.”

Theo rolled his eyes, _You could’ve tried a bit more, couldn’t you?_

“I’ll take my chances,” Corey smirked at them and walked towards the door.

“Then give us a better chance to find our friends,” Theo darted forward, looking Corey in the eye. “What else did you see?”

Corey glared at him but didn’t speak.

“C'mon, Corey, there had to be something else.”

“Fine, I’ll think.” He sighed, frowning. “There was the hospital; they took me outta my room, and then…”

“And then?” Lydia prompted.

“The tunnels.” He nodded. “And that's it, like I told you.”

“That's all?” Theo asked, tone even, though he could see Corey becoming more uncomfortable. “Nothing after that?”

“No.” He reached for the door knob.

“There has to be more, just think, Corey, just for one minute, think harder!” Theo reached out to grab his arm, but Corey shrugged him off. He nodded reluctantly, eyes falling to the floor as he thought about the images Scott had churned up. 

Corey straightened up, looking at them. “There's a basement.”

“Like in a building?” Lydia asked.

“In a house. It was old, and there was a broken stone wall in it, like a bomb went off.” He continued as Theo studied him, nodding approvingly.

 _The holding room. So, they do have one here. I suppose it makes sense. But the Doctors won't take this interference well._ Theo nodded his thanks at Corey, turning to the banshee. “Lydia, the werewolf with the talons; didn't Parish say that he smashed through the wall of a basement? Something like that, right?”

“No,” Lydia pursed her lips, “It was exactly that.”

“Ok, I’ll head out and see if I can find it. If Scott and the others find them in the meantime, they’ll come back here.”

“Right. I’ll stay here then.” Lydia nodded. “Are you still leaving, Corey?”

The younger chimera looked between them and shook his head. “No, I’ll stay.”

“Good.” Theo smiled at him as Lydia returned to the kitchen, washing out the cloth. He lowered his voice. “Wait a minute, Corey.” 

“What? I told you everything!”

“I know. You know what I am, don’t you?”

“More than a werewolf?” Corey asked hesitantly, seeing Theo’s smile. “You and Stiles, you’re more than just boyfriends?”

 _Worked that out fast._ “Yeah,” Theo glanced behind him, “But we need to keep this quiet; between the three of us. Stiles will explain everything tomorrow, for now just act normally.”

“Ok,” Corey looked at him. “I felt something from him, from Stiles.”

“Alpha power.” Theo replied with a grin. “There’s a lot of secrets for you to learn, Corey, but it’ll be worth it. And Stiles is a good person, he wouldn’t make you do something you don’t want to.”

“Hmm.” Corey nodded and pulled out his phone. “You’ll give me your numbers, then?”

“Of course,” Theo entered the digits quickly, “Ok, I need to get to the hospital, get my truck. I’ll be back later tonight.” He pulled the extra set of keys from his pocket and said goodbye to Corey. _Easier than I expected. If he’s really as malleable as that, he’ll make a fine recruit._

 

Stiles stared at the ID card in his hand; everything could have come undone if his father had asked him to prove that he didn’t have the card on him. Little lie to cover a big lie. _I don’t think I could lie that well. I should’ve left this with Theo. And I can’t keep it on me._ He sighed, rubbing his thumb across the dried blood along the back. _The sacrifice, Theo called it, and I didn’t even blink this time. What the hell, Stiles?_ The Alpha glanced up as an orderly passed by and then looked at the bin beside him. He bent the card back and forth, hesitating as he held it over the trash basket, and then dropped it. Standing up, Stiles felt a rush of relief run through him. _I couldn’t take that risk, and they change the trash here often enough that it’ll be gone in a day’s time._ Stiles nodded to himself and went to find his Dad; the Sheriff had ignored his warnings about the body thief, but he wanted to see if his earlier description of a fire monster was accurate.

 

Theo found the house easily enough after Lydia sent him the description of it. The basement was deeper than others he had been in, and the Dread Doctors had left their mark for those who knew what to look for. He peered at the broken wall, covered by a large gate, seeing Liam and Hayden, even as he was hidden by shadows. The nearby hum of a generator distracted him and he examined the gate, sighing as he saw the wires all leading to the metal mesh. _Need this to look reckless, like you only care about getting them out of there. Ready? Ok!_ Theo thought to himself as he dislodged some loose masonry, making a sound, and hurried across the floor. “Liam! Hayden!” He called out, and walked up to the gate, grinning. 

“No! Theo, don’t!” Liam cried out as Theo grasped the wire mesh. 

“Argh!” Electricity arced across his body as his eyes burned yellow, Theo felt his chimera form being pulled out, as though attempting to compensate for the shock being inflicted. It was too much and Theo gasped as he blacked out, falling backwards heavily.

His eyes fluttered open a few minutes later, their voices were calling his name through an intense ringing in his ears. His skull ached dully from where he fell back onto the concrete floor. Theo struggled upright, groaning. “Ugh.”

“Theo? Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I think so.” He winced again, tilting his neck from side to side until the ringing stopped. “Yeah, I'm fine.” Liam looked scared, confused, and Theo ground his teeth furiously to better control his emotions as indifference to their suffering crossed his mind in a blaze. _Weak, pathetic, just leave them there. Is this really the best we can do?_

 _The plan relies on emotion, so let’s just pretend we care._ Theo walked back over towards them.

“Do you think you can get help?” Liam asked quietly.

“I am the help.” Theo replied shortly. “I’ll get you out. Stand back.”

“But, Scott-”

“Isn’t here.” Theo gestured for them to move, “Stand back, it’ll be alright.” He approached the gate, drawing a deep breath and focusing as he again grasped the wire mesh, this time prepared for the electric shock. _Just think of Stiles, and the glory of the Alpha Chimera, who will control an Alpha of his own!_ Theo let the change consume him and he snarled as his clawed fingers touched the wires. Sparks flew and his eyes turned into a golden-yellow blaze, his fangs sprung forth from his gums as he pulled the gate slowly apart. He growled lowly, teeth pressed firmly together as his flesh burned and electricity arced around him, the gates inching apart. _That’s it! Let’s show these werewolves what real power looks like! True strength, and Stiles will know. He’ll know that I’m the perfect, the most powerful chimera; the general of his army, the ultimate guardian, we are equals!_ Theo finished the final thought as he ripped the gates open with a roar, “Rawrrr!”

Liam, and Hayden stared at him as he bared his fangs, smoke rising from his hands and arms. Theo gestured for them to follow him. “I’ll bring you back to Scott’s.”

“Wow, Theo! That was amazing!” Liam spoke excitedly and Hayden seemed to forget about her pain for a moment as she stared at him. “Are you ok? We need to find Scott; the Dread Doctors have this lab, and there’s a lot more chimeras than we thought, and that was awesome, I didn’t think anyone but an Alpha could-”

“Yeah, ok, thanks, Liam.” Theo smirked, but brushed off the praise as they reached his car. “Get in the back, that wound does not look good, Hayden.”

“Black’s ok though, when it turns silver, that’s the problem.” She explained as they helped her inside. “It’ll heal, right?”

“Yeah, I think so.” Theo replied, seeing the hope in Liam’s eyes brighten a little more. “I’ll text everyone, let them know you guys are safe.” He closed the rear door and looked at his burnt hands, the flesh already healing, the pain dulling. 

 

Stiles pushed through the fire doors and walked slowly through the hot steam that engulfed the entire length of the hallway. He stopped outside the morgue, seeing Officer Clark unconscious by the door. “Shit.” Stiles looked inside, but Deputy Parrish was missing from his post, the rack he was guarding was burnt and the chimera’s body gone. “Fuck! Are you kidding me?” Stiles swore loudly, and continued down the hallway until he found his Dad with the unharmed, but emotionless, Deputy Parrish. “Dad! There you are!” 

“Stiles. What are you doing here?”

“I looked in the morgue, body’s gone.” He wiped his forehead of sweat, and glared at Parrish. “Where the hell were you? That was your post!”

“You should go with your son, Sheriff.” Deputy Parrish spoke in a toneless voice and turned away into the steam.

“Parrish!” The Sheriff reached out for him. “Damnit! We better check the morgue, might be something there.” 

Stiles let his Dad enter the room first, his father sweeping it with his gun. They gathered around gurney. “Well, this sucks.”

“Understatement, Stiles.” The Sheriff shook his head, grabbing his radio to call it in. 

Stiles walked over to melted plastic and charred metal, running his hand carefully over the still warm material. Something glimmered on the ground and he bent down to pick it up, turning Deputy Parrish’s nametag over in his fingers. He looked at his father and sighed. 

“Find something, Stiles?”

“No, nothing.” He lied, slipping the tag into his pocket. His phone buzzed in the other one and he took it out, a smile of relief on his face as he read the message. “Some good news though, Theo found Hayden and Liam. They’re going to be ok.”

 

Theo glanced in his rear-view mirror at Liam and Hayden, seeing their relationship blossom into something more, something tangible, and finally something useful. He smirked at them, at the way they had been unable to contain their admiration for his rescue of them. _Poor Scott, first I take your best friend away, and now your Beta thinks I’m better than you, that’s gonna sting!_ He didn’t hide the cruel smile that pulled at his lips as he drove on. Hayden was talking, something about the Doctors cutting her open. _Ah, testing. But she’s not healing, a failure. Oh, well, throw another one on the pile. But maybe not; Liam has a strong bond with her and he stinks of desperation. All it will take is a little push and we can unload that pretty little ball of fury onto Scott McCall._ Theo’s grin got wider as the pieces of the plan fell into place. He just had to find the right buttons to push and…The chimera looked in his mirror again, seeing them kiss. _Ah, love is such a delicious weakness for those of us who can exploit it!_

 

Theo looked up from his phone as Scott entered the living room, Malia and Mason following him in a mirror of earlier events. He offered the werewolf a smile as Scott came to a stop in front of him. “Scott.”

“Theo. I…welcome to the pack.”

Theo grinned and pulled the surprised Alpha into a hug. Scott was tense at first, but after a moment he relaxed slightly. The chimera released him and was immediately hugged by Malia. “Oh, thanks.”

“Good job, Theo!” She said aloud, and then whispered in his ear. “I was wrong about you.”

“Uh, yeah, thanks. Oh.” He blinked as Mason pulled him into another brief hug. “Thanks, guys, really, it was nothing. If Corey here hadn’t remembered that basement…” He gestured at the other chimera, seeing him blush. Scott was watching him, but his expression was hard to read, Theo stepped back as the others crowded around Corey instead.

“Theo?”

“Yeah, Scott?”

“Tell Stiles I’m sorry, I lost my temper with him today.” He paused, looking at his feet, and then added. “I hope that you being a part of my pack will bring him back, I don’t want to lose my best friend, especially not if the reason is because his boyfriend stays an Omega.”

“Right.” Theo nodded. “I better get going anyway, shower, change my clothes. I’ll see you at school tomorrow.”

“Yeah.” Scott replied as he reached inside his pocket for his inhaler.

 

“It's him. He's the one who's been taking the bodies.” Stiles handed the nametag to Lydia. “I pulled this from the morgue. I’m sorry, I know you two are, uh, close.”

She turned away from him, sighing. “I think I know where he's taking them.”

“Where?” 

“The Nemeton.”

“Oh, great.” The name sent a chill across his skin, but Stiles pressed on. “Why?”

“I don't know.” She turned back to look at him. “But nothing good has ever come from that tree.”


	9. Truth and Lies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one starts a little different, mainly due to Scott's monologue at the beginning of the episode.

“This is a lot to take in,” Corey muttered as he looked up at Stiles and Theo standing in front of him. The slow quiet drip of the showers echoed around the empty locker room. It had been Theo’s idea to tell Corey everything they knew, it had been difficult at first, Stiles was somewhat unnerved by the way Corey had stared at him, innocent expression and open eyes. But Theo joined in and before long he was talking about being the Alpha Chimera as though he had always been this way. But it _was_ different, being in the presence of two other chimeras. He could feel their hearts beating in time with his own, when he closed his eyes he knew where they were around him. When Corey had sat down on the bench and Stiles approached him, he could see the color change in his eyes, almost feeling the same in his own. Was this how they recognised each other? Or was it merely that he still wasn’t in control? The questions ran through his mind as Theo filled Corey in on the Dread Doctors and their purpose. The other chimera hid it well, but Stiles knew from the conversation the previous evening that even Theo didn’t know what their ultimate aim was, or why they had judged now to be the time to return. 

Stiles blinked when he realised the other two were looking at him. “Huh?”

“I was saying to Corey that he doesn’t have to be afraid; he’s healed, he’s strong, he might be another success.”

“As long as you stop calling me ‘Alpha’ every time we meet, then yeah, he’s a success.”

“It was only once, Stiles.” Corey muttered reproachfully. “But I’m with you and Theo.”

“Good, we need more though.” Stiles nodded absently. “What about Hayden? Have they mentioned anything about her?”

“No.” Theo shook his head, “They’re getting ready for something big though, there’s a tension around them. The Doctors might finally be prepared to reveal their big plan.”

“Will you be there to hear it?”

“Maybe, hopefully. They still think I’m loyal.”

“You aren’t?” Corey asked, turning to look at Theo.

“Not to them.” The chimera smiled at Stiles. “There’s only one person who has that.”

Stiles grinned. “Thanks, I think.” He shrugged. “For now, we should just deal with what’s in front of us. Like Theo said, we’re not strong enough to fight them, and whatever they have planned involves me, and probably my ability to control other chimeras.”

“So, how does that work?”

“Stiles?” Theo looked at him with a smirk. “Why don’t you show him how it works.”

_Get that grin off your face Theo, you fucking pervert._

_Like you’re not thinking the same, Stiles! Theo is Theo, and Corey is as cute as fuck. But…I can’t be that guy._

“Stiles?” Theo repeated, frowning, unaware of the thoughts blazing across his boyfriend’s eyes.

“Fine.” He sighed, looking at Corey. “Stand up.” The chimera did so at once, blinking confusingly. “Let’s see what you can do.” Stiles swallowed and concentrated, feeling sweat break out across his skin and his eyes blazed purple. Corey watched him for a moment before uttering a gasp of surprise. 

“What the…?” Theo muttered, looking around. The chimera had vanished. 

Stiles glanced at Theo. “He’s invisible?”

“No, there’s nothing I know of that can turn invisible.” Theo moved forward, feeling his own abilities drawn to the surface as Stiles’ power seeped into the air around him. The chimera breathed in his scent deeply, the sensation sparking across his mind. “Unless…” Theo reached out and poked the empty air hard.

“Ow!” Corey grunted and became visible again, peeling himself off the lockers. “Hey, that hurt!”

“Good. Now we know what you are.” Theo smirked at him and Stiles. “Chameleon.”

“Chameleon,” Stiles echoed, nodding to himself. “Definitely an assassin. And no, that’s not my command, Corey.”

“Right, Stiles.” He grinned sheepishly.

“How come all of you is camouflaged? Not just your skin?” Stiles wondered aloud as Theo leant in to sniff Corey. The other chimera batted him away. “What’s he made of, Theo?”

“You’re an exotic,” Theo spoke to Corey excitedly, as he glanced at Stiles. “Something special. I think they might have added in DNA from a creature that is able to generate a field around its body, maybe an electric eel, without the bioelectricity. That would explain how your clothes disappear as well. Maybe with more practice you could hide other people too.”

“Awesome!” Stiles grinned and Corey smiled back.

“Now that sounds cool.” 

 

The moon was rising as Stiles sat on his bed, watching the beams fall across his lap through the open blinds. The night was cloudless and calm; his father had grudgingly allowed him to bring his “boyfriend” over for the evening. Stiles still hadn’t introduced them and he had no plans to do so, considering that Theo’s name remained at the center of his crime board. _Still haven’t cleaned that off, I suppose it doesn’t matter._ He thought gloomily, grimacing as his shoulder blade wound twitched. “Ah!”

“Are you ok?” Theo called out from the nearby bathroom. Stiles had let him shower before they hung out, something about how the water at his house was always only warm, never hot. 

But Stiles wasn’t sure he believed the chimera, _Are you really complaining that he’s gonna come out here in a towel and nothing else?_ Stiles swallowed as he felt his stomach clench and a rush of excitement drop through his navel. He massaged his limp cock through his sweat pants, but was distracted by a fresh ache through the wound. “Son of a…”

“Is it still sore?”

Stiles looked up to see Theo standing in his doorway, exactly as he expected, towel wrapped around his waist, water dripping down his muscular chest. He looked away, reaching back to feel the scabbed over skin. “Yeah, still.”

“Let me have a look.” Theo sat down beside him and Stiles could feel the heat radiating from his boyfriend’s body. “Ok, let’s see.” Theo’s careful hands pushed back Stiles’ t-shirt and he ran a finger across the enflamed skin, the hard points of the scab and looked up at him. “It’s ok, healing.”

“Slowly.” Stiles sighed, but didn’t ask Theo to stop his gentle massage.

“Hmm, it’ll be fine.” He moved his hand further along Stiles’ shoulder, until he reached his neck.

“Mmmh, your hands are warm.” Stiles closed his eyes, and lent into Theo’s grasp. He felt the other chimera push him back onto the bed and close the distance between them. Theo’s lips were pressing against his own, his still damp body pushing against Stiles’. He let the kiss envelope him for a few minutes, then opened his eyes and pulled back. Theo was lying against him, the towel unravelled so his entire back was naked and Stiles felt his cock strain in his boxers. Theo smirked at him, but Stiles shook his head. “I told my Dad we were going to watch a film.”

“Uh huh, I think we can multi-task.”

Stiles felt a grin tug his lips and nodded. “I suppose I can manage that!”

 

Later that night when he was lying in bed trying to sleep, Theo a reassuring bulk behind him, Stiles cast his mind back to his injury, and what had caused it. Donovan’s death. The Sacrifice, as Theo called it, Donovan impaled on a spike, as Stiles remembered it. _Nothing glorious or sacred about that. But the Doctors have their rituals too, I suppose._ Stiles looked at his hand, illuminated in the moonlight, it wasn’t as if he didn’t enjoy the benefits of being the Alpha Chimera, feeling that power rush through him whenever Theo or Corey or even Hayden were nearby. He had begun to rely heavily on them for enhancing his senses, knowing that in return they were empowered by his presence, by the unity of their purpose. It was a perfect, vibrant symbiotic relationship that turned the world into a grey, dull place when they weren't together. But still, Stiles couldn't run from his memories, his thoughts; he wasn't like Theo, brought up to not care about other people, to bury any trace of empathy because it stopped him doing his job, no, Stiles felt it, every day, the guilt, the fear of being found out, trying everything to ignore the voice in his head that whispered how good it had felt to see Donovan dead, to be victorious, to take out the bad guy on his own for a change, not rely on Scott or Malia or Liam...

 

“Does something feel different to you, Theo?” Stiles asked him as they left Math one afternoon, a few days after Liam and Hayden were saved. “Not between us, but with Scott and the rest of…of the pack.” He stumbled on the last words and Theo frowned at him.

“What do you mean?”

“I almost wasn’t going to say it-the pack- I was going to say ‘their pack,’ as though I wasn’t part of it anymore. Even though you just joined: the Scott seal of approval and all.”

“Yeah,” Theo replied quietly, avoiding Stiles’ eyes.

“What?” He waited for his boyfriend to reply. “Theo? What is it?”

“Well, Scott…he only really let me join the pack because he’s afraid of losing you, that’d you’d not be his friend anymore if I wasn’t in the pack.” Theo spoke reluctantly, seeing Stiles’ mouth form a grim line. _How delicious! Turn that screw a little tighter!_

“Did he? With friends like that, who needs enemies?” Stiles muttered darkly. “Thanks for telling me, though.”

“Of course,” Theo reached over and casually held his hand in his own. “So, I’ve been thinking-”

“Uh huh.”

“Stop! Seriously, Stiles, what you said about needing more than Corey and me; we should recruit Hayden. I know she’s just a plain old chimera werewolf, but…” He shrugged as Stiles glanced at him, brow quirked.

“Werewolf not enough for you?”

“You know I’m a hybrid right; mostly werewolf, with a little bit of were-coyote thrown in?”

“I do now.” Stiles stopped outside his locker, untangling his hand from Theo’s. “So, that makes you stronger?”

“Kind of.” He leaned against the metal and caught Stiles’ eyes, whispering. “I can turn into an actual wolf.”

“Right.” Stiles grinned at him, disbelievingly. 

“No, seriously, I can!”

“Uh, I’m not sure if that’s awesome or if I’m creeped out.” Stiles muttered and looked away from him. “No, actually, creeped out it is! I don’t want to even think about it.”

“Why not?”

Stiles looked at Theo’s hurt expression and sighed. “If you were just my friend, it’d be cool. But you’re my boyfriend, and I, you know?” He gestured vaguely, screwing up his nose.

“Oh, right.” Theo said slowly, following Stiles as he closed his locker door. “I’ve only ever transformed twice; it’s actually kind of a hassle. But it was part of the Doctors’ experiment.”

“Hmm.” Stiles stopped at a corner and seemed distracted. Theo walked up behind him and touched his shoulder.

“Stiles? I’m sorry if-”

“Shush.” Stiles dismissed his apology, nodding at where Hayden was making out with Liam. “Have you thought of a way to approach her without tipping either Liam or Scott off?”

“No, I’m not sure, we’d need to be careful, catch her alone.” Theo watched them leave and glanced at Stiles, noticing how his teeth were clenched and his eyes followed Liam rather than the chimera. “What is it?”

“Hmm?”

“Did something happen with you and Liam? I always get the impression that there’s this tension between you two.” Theo asked, his eyes meeting Stiles' before the Alpha averted his gaze. “Stiles?”

“Liam's a handful during the full moon, he's strong now, but crazy strong during that week in the month.” Stiles started, explaining as he watched Liam pull Hayden close, walking down the hallway in the opposite direction. “Scott would try his best, but the Beta just didn't have control. A few months back, Liam lost it completely, ignored his Alpha and ran off. I heard reports on the police scanner that a naked wolf-boy was running through the streets of Beacon Hills, I figured it was Liam and went after him.”

Theo's brows shot up and he smirked at the thought. “Go on.”

“I found him, he was passed out on the side of the road near the Preserve, butt naked, covered in sweat, dirt, and just lying there.” Stiles glanced at Theo. “I mean, you've seen him, he's not...”

“Unappealing?”

“Right,” Stiles swallowed as they headed towards the parking lot. “So, I manage to get him into my Jeep, and I'm trying not to look, but I can't help it. And he's out cold, I'm already holding him, so...”

“Hahaha,” Theo laughed, grinning at him, “Is this the reason you weren't angrier with me about the, uh, that night the Doctors took you?”

“I suppose.” Stiles nodded, cheeks burning, “But anyway, I'm there, feeling his hot, sweet, fucking delicious, skin and his pecs are hard, his abs are hard, his cock, uh, everything's so hard.”

“Did you jerk him off?” Theo asked eagerly, opening the door to his truck. As Stiles climbed in, he could see Theo's pants tenting outwards.

“No, he woke up.”

“Oh, shit!”

“And, I mean, he didn't freak out,” Stiles' lips twitched as he remembered the moment. “But he didn't ask me to continue either. So, yeah, seeing him with Hayden is, I don't know. He's Scott's Beta, I never felt comfortable bringing it up again, and he's never said anything, so...”

“That was hot.” Theo licked his lips and adjusted his hard-on through his jeans. 

Stiles smirked at him, “Really? Right here? In the parking lot?”

“If it makes it any better, I can see Liam making out with Hayden from here.” He smiled wickedly at Stiles. “If you hurry, I can probably blow you before they take off!”

“Screw you!” Stiles muttered, but glanced out the window and then reached over to unzip Theo’s pants. “Fine.”

 

Stiles sighed as Lydia marked another “x” on the tree. “That’s twice we’ve been this way, are you sure you can’t narrow it down?”

“No, Stiles.” She looked at him, “Of course, if we had Parrish’s help I wouldn’t have to ‘narrow it down.’”

“Let’s just keep looking,” Stiles muttered, pointing in the distance. “Let’s start at the stump over there and go out in a grid. It shouldn’t take, oh, a couple of years to cover the whole forest.”

“Your bad mood isn’t helping anything.”

Stiles didn’t reply, but he knew he was being unfair. It had been Scott’s idea that he help her out, but the truth was Stiles didn’t want to find the Nemeton, didn’t want to see all the discarded bodies or burnt bones that Parrish had brought out to it. _Fount of all evil…_

“Stiles?”

“I’m coming.”

 

Stiles glanced at Theo, lowering his voice so only they could hear it. “How did you convince her to come?”

Theo smiled at him proudly, answering in a normal tone. “Oh, Hayden came as soon as I told her I knew someone who had all the answers, or at least could answer her questions.” 

Stiles’ eyes narrowed at that and he looked across the empty parking lot at Hayden and Corey. It was midnight and the lot was deserted, the moon bathing the area in silver light. “Fine.” He said eventually, gesturing for them to approach. “Hi.”

“I wasn’t expecting you, Stiles.” She started and then stopped speaking, seeing his eyes turn purple. The chimera looked at Corey and Theo, but they just smiled at her, one welcoming, the other was more of a smirk. “What, I don’t…”

“It’s alright, Hayden.” Stiles reached out a hand, “Kneel.” He watched as she complied, her expression morphing into horror as her body refused her commands to stand up. “Don’t resist, even though you’ve already been Awakened, Theo assures me this will work.” Stiles muttered the last words to himself and stopped in front of her, lowering his hand until the tips of his fingers touched her forehead. His eyes pulsed with purple fire and he felt a rush of power travel across his body, every hair standing on end as two chimeras bound to him became three. The Alpha Chimera looked down at Hayden, seeing her features transform until there was a yellow eyed werewolf staring back at him. 

“Command me, Alpha.” She growled at him.

Stiles felt his lips curl into a smile and he stretched his arms outwards. “Ah, I see what you were talking about Theo, I'm beginning to finally feel powerful!” He barked at the chimera standing behind him. Stiles looked down at his hands, frowning as he saw the ghosts of claws attach themselves to his fingers. A moment later they were gone. He stepped away from Hayden. “Stand up.” She did so and blinked at him confusedly. “Tell her what she needs to know,” Stiles ordered them as he studied his hands. 

Theo let Corey do most of the talking, interjecting only to answer something the enthusiastic chimera didn’t know. He watched Stiles flexing his fingers back and forth. _I saw it, was that what the Pathologist meant by mimicry? Could he be developing this on his own? I should tell them, see if it shakes anything about their plan loose._ Theo blinked and focused on the younger chimeras as Stiles re-joined them. 

Hayden looked at him, “Does Scott know?”

“Not yet, I’m working on it.” Stiles replied. “It’s complicated, as you can imagine. The truth would turn everything upside down, and right now he needs less pressure. Once I have a better plan of how to talk to him, he’ll know, so, I’d appreciate it if you kept this a secret for now, even from Liam.” _Especially from Liam._ Stiles nodded at them, “You can go now, I’ll be able to find you if I need to.”

Theo watched them leave, glancing at Stiles. “You seem tired.”

“I’m not getting much sleep.”

“I’ve noticed, what can I do?”

“Listen.” Stiles replied simply, his neutral expression breaking as he confided in Theo. “I told them I have a plan for telling Scott, but I don’t. I don’t know for how much longer I can conceal my powers; the eyes, they just happen every time I’m stressed or panicked or whatever. They’re purple, now aren’t they?”

“They’re beautiful, Stiles.” Theo smiled at him, reaching over to run a finger down his temple. “I’ve never seen anything like them.” He listened to Stiles talk and nodded his understanding, even as his mind went on a tangent. _And if they do tell? Whether by accident or intention? No, Stiles is only safe when he’s with me. But I’m not nearly powerful enough; we need the others for now._ “I get it, Stiles, don’t worry, we’ll figure something out.”

“I’m starving, will you stop for curly fries?” Stiles asked him suddenly.

“Anything for you, Stiles!” Theo laughed and grabbed Stiles’ hand, pulling him towards his truck. “Come on.”

 

Theo listened carefully as Scott poured out his heart, his expression flickering as he maintained his composure. _Such a weak Alpha, your pack’s already broken, Scott!_ “I’m sure it’s not all that bad, Scott.” He offered as the werewolf looked at him. “There’s no need to apologise for the shit that we’re in.”

“You came back here looking for an Alpha, I guess I'm sorry you found me.”

“I'm not sorry,” Theo replied, looking Scott dead in the eyes, _I already found him._

“So, you still want to be part of the pack?” Scott asked him questioningly.

“Scott,” Theo smiled a little, shrugging as lies fell from his lips weightlessly. “I'm with you all the way, for better or worse.”

Scott huffed, blowing out his cheeks as he sighed. “Trust me, there's going to be worse.”

Theo raised his eyes, the edges of his lips twitching, “I'm counting on it.” Scott was staring at him strangely. “The Dread Doctors have to be here for a reason, Scott, I don't think they're settling in for the long haul, though. Once we know the enemy, we can fight them, or Stiles and Lydia can come up with an idea to fight them.”

“They are the smart ones.” Scott smiled a little at that. “Thanks, Theo, it's good to know you'll have my back.”

"Absolutely, Scott,” He grinned at him, adding. “Up to the hilt.”

 

He closed his eyes as he entered the Dread Doctor's lab, the old smells, the familiar taste of blood in the air, the almost comforting hiss of escaping gas from their masks; it felt like home, even though he had been in a dozen different abandoned warehouses with the same sensations. Theo felt slightly sluggish, slow; being beside Stiles nearly constantly had made him expect the boost in power, and with Corey and Hayden being near them too, it only got better. The Geneticist circled him slowly, her hand signalling when he was to show his eyes or his teeth or his claws, an old game. He snarled and bared his fangs.

She stepped in closer to him, and pulled back as he watched, motionless. "Curious." The sibilant hiss echoed around him. 

The Surgeon shuddered into visibility next to the console at the side of the surgical table, gesturing at the Geneticist, holding his arms out expectantly, the exercise forgotten. Theo darted forward as the Doctor's armor creaked with the movement. He worked quickly, undoing the heavy leather and straps until what was once a man stood relieved of his outerwear. The chimera rolled up the Doctor’s sleeves, careful not to touch the withered, stitched skin. The Geneticist drained fluid from the tank as Theo followed the Surgeon around to the operating table. He glanced at the dead chimera lying on it, cane sticking out of his back, mercury coating the floor. Theo reached out to touch the teenager's still warm face, “Pity, he's cute.”

“Are you not already occupied?”

“Of course, I just meant it's a pity he's not a success. I would have liked to…never mind.”

“Hoping for only the handsome ones?” There was a gurgling laugh and a hiss of static as the Dread Doctor mocked him. Theo waited until the Geneticist returned, injecting the Surgeon's withered arm with the fluid, he had seen the procedure before and knew it was the best time to ask for a favour, when the Doctor was distracted. 

“I need more time,” Theo started, “We need more time, more chimeras. He's starting to get powerful, I can see it, feel it for myself. There’s even the chance he’s developing his own powers.”

“Perigee-syzygy soon.”

“What about Corey? And Hayden?” Theo demanded. “Are they-”

“They are failures.” The Surgeon examined his revitalised arm, “Failures contaminate the experiment pool. They are useless.”

“Not to me! Not to Stiles, they're the kind of chimeras he wants, the ones he can use, and not feel bad about.” Theo gestured emptily as the Doctor looked at him. “He's got morality, ideals, he needs more than just killers. He needs exotics, if he’s to become a mimic like you said.” He directed the final part towards the Pathologist.

The Doctors were silent. 

“Look, I kept Stiles alive, he's the Overmind now, all powerful, but only with chimeras, and he wants them. He wants the power, once he has a taste of what it's really like, fully charged; he's yours. But I need the time to get him there. You told me once he could be the most powerful chimera you’ve ever made, I can get him there.” Theo repeated.

“Bring him to us, then.” The Surgeon intoned, covering his flesh again. “Bring him, and we shall test for his potential.”

“And if the tests fail?”

“Inconsequential.” The Doctor ignored his grunt of impatience, reaching up to touch the images of the Moon's phases. “Failures are discarded.”

“He's mine, and I need him alive!” Theo snarled at them, eyes glowing yellow in the dim light.

“Yours?” The Doctors turned as one to face him, the word hissed by all three.

Theo backed off, realising he had pushed too far, given them too much attitude. He dropped his head submissively. “No, I, I just meant I see value in him.” He chose his next words carefully, glancing up at the Doctors as they crowded around him, feeling ten years old again. “I don't want to risk losing an...experiment of that value. Especially when he's learning so much on his own. With Corey and Hayden, he could-” He took a step back as the Surgeon reached behind him and ripped the cane from the dead chimera's body.

“Very well, you have until perigee-syzygy.” The other Doctors faded into the background and Theo backed away as the Surgeon walked past him. 

 

Stiles looked around the clearing, sighing to himself. This was the fourth time they'd been out in the Preserve, but no matter where they went, how deep into the forest, the Nemeton wasn't there. He kicked his feet through a pile of leaves. “You know, maybe this thing doesn't want to be found.”

“Maybe it knows we're late for class.” Lydia sighed and Stiles turned around as she pointed at a tree. “Because we've been here twice.”

He moved around to look at the two white X's drawn on the tree. “Crap.”

“Can we talk to Parrish now?”

"Uh, no, no. Hang on. No." Stiles objected, raising his hand as a thought occurred to him. _Obvious, really._ “If the Nemeton is covered in bodies, shouldn't you be able to find them?”

“Me?” Lydia asked, nonplussed.

“Yes, you! That's your thing! You're the Banshee, you find the bodies!” Stiles gestured wildly at the empty forest around them.

“Well, the Banshee's having an off-day, so why don't we talk to Parrish?”

“Urgh. We can't.” Stiles replied firmly, the images of Donovan's death running through his mind.

“Why not?” Lydia demanded.

Stiles hesitated, and for a moment he wanted to tell her the truth. “Because, uh, one of the bodies...” He hesitated, “One of them could be...”

“Could be what?”

“...” Stiles avoided her gaze, struggling with his thoughts. _What are you doing? Stop it, stop it right now! You are not telling her the truth!_ “Uh, one of them could be…a clue.” He finished lamely.

“I'm leaving now, Stiles.” Lydia turned away from him. “I'm going to talk to Parrish and I'm telling him he's the one taking the bodies.”

 _Gotta act now Stiles if you want to stop her!_ But he let her go. _No, I don’t know how._

 _Sure you do, there’s a nice heavy branch over there…_ Stiles ignored the thoughts as Lydia flittered in front of him.

“It's always better when they know.”

“Then he should know he owes me a Jeep.” Stiles managed a snarky reply and hurried after her.

 

Theo followed Stiles into the library, frowning as he digested what his boyfriend just told him. “You guys are sure that's where Parrish is taking the bodies?”

“Lydia says that's what happens in his dream,” Stiles glanced back at him, nodding. 

“Huh.” Theo reached out to touch his arm, “Stiles, you know that if Lydia finds the Nemeton, she's gonna find Donovan too, right?”

“The thought occurred to me.” He stopped to look at Theo's concerned face. “She's also going to find Josh. Neither of those things are good.”

“I know, I'm sorry, Stiles, I should have cleaned up better.” He moved closer, his voice lower as they stood in the center of the library floor. “If I had-”

“No, it's not your fault, Theo, it's mine. My responsibility. And Josh... I have your back on that; not just because of the deal.”

Theo looked at him, lips parted slightly, _Fuck, he is so hot right now. And I feel the same way about him as I say I do. Kinda weird. But, he’s perfect, he’s mine, no one else will have him, no one will hurt him._ He cleared his throat and looked over at the spot where the sacrifice was made. “I have no regrets, Stiles, you know that. But maybe we should let her find them.” Stiles stared at him. “I think things are different now, for Scott, especially after what he did to Corey. He crossed a line, but he did it to save his Beta. I think he might understand why we acted the way we did. I don't think he's going to blame us for defending ourselves.” Stiles was still staring at him incredulously, and Theo reached out to take his hand loosely. “He certainly won't blame you, you're Stiles, his best friend. I'm just an Omega.”

“And what? I have to choose between you and Scott?” He shook his head, looking into Theo's eyes. “You know that's not a choice for me, right? Not anymore?” _I can't imagine you not being at my side. Hell, I’m almost freaking out any time you’re not there!_

“I didn't think it'd be that simple.”

“It isn't. But, you...we just click, there’s no effort, no pressure, perfect harmony.”

Theo grinned wider at that, white teeth contrasting against his tanned skin, before it dimmed a little as he remembered his original point. “So, should we come clean? Get out in front of it?”

Stiles looked behind him, the bright library falling into shadow as he recalled that night. His smile faded, a different image thrown out in his mind's eye; not Donovan impaled on the bar, but him, Stiles. Blood mingled with mercury as it dripped down his skin and pooled beneath him. He looked away and the moment was gone. Theo was still watching at him expectantly. “No. I'm not doing that to my Dad, I can’t tell Scott the truth, I can’t take the risk he’ll say something. If Lydia finds the Nemeton, maybe she won't figure out what happened to them.”

“And if she does?” Theo asked, feeling his insides squirm when Stiles looked back at him, eyes cold and hard, mouth a grim line.

“We'll deal with her.” _Oh, so we’re super-villains now, Stiles? It’s fun, isn’t it? But are you serious or just playing for time?_ Stiles moistened his lips as the thoughts ran through his mind. “Do you understand?”

Theo nodded, his voice barely above a whisper so only Stiles could hear him. “Yes, Alpha.”

 

Theo kissed Stiles and watched him walk away before turning to enter the classroom, ignoring the smirk directed at him by Malia. He sat down and felt his attention wandering, thinking back to what they had just discussed in the library. The chimera chewed his lip absently, nodding at Scott when the werewolf sat behind him. _So do we tell him, or not? How much are you willing to give for this guy? Everything? Sure, it’s him you really want after all. Scott is just, well right now he’s an obstacle, and he’s already off balance. Let’s see how much we can throw him. Stiles will choose you and Scott doesn’t want to lose his best friend, so..._ Theo turned and whispered at Scott. “Psst!”

“What?” Scott looked up from his copybook. 

“Hey, um, I need to talk to you.”

“You ok?”

“Yeah, yeah, uh, it's not really about me though.” Theo avoided Scott's questioning gaze, letting his scent slip into uneasiness. “But, um, it's something I probably should've told you a long time ago.”

“What is it?” Scott asked after a pause. Theo could see the reaction in the Alpha's eyes, and he swallowed as though nervous, instead of glorying in the deliciousness of the manipulation as he was on the inside.

“It's about Stiles.”

Scott opened his mouth to speak, but before he did he tilted his head down, whispering. “Wait, do you hear that?”

Theo frowned, listening, and then heard the sirens at the edge of his range. “Is that the police?”

“It's an ambulance.” Scott stood up and left the room, the teacher’s objections being ignored. Theo swore under his breath and followed the werewolf, cramming his books into his bag.

“Scott! Wait up!” Theo skidded to a halt beside Scott at the rear entrance to the school. He looked around the gathered students towards the ambulance, pushing his way through until he saw Corey being wheeled away. Mercury spilled from his mouth and covered his grey t-shirt, soaking it through. The chimera watched as the paramedics rushed him towards the vehicle. He glanced to one side, feeling resistance in his movements towards Corey. Stiles was standing beside the school bus, his expression hard and cold.

Stiles watched them take Corey and curled his hand into a fist, there was nothing he could do, nothing Theo could do. If the chimeras were failures, what was the point of the Doctors’ experiments on him? Why did they create a chimera who could control the others, if all of them simply died? _What is the fucking point?!_ He screamed silently. Corey was a good kid, a good chimera; to have him bleed to death or wait until the Doctors came for him wasn’t fair. _Maybe Theo will put him out of his misery?_ Stiles thought grimly, and released his control over them. He turned away and left before Corey even got to the ambulance.

Theo felt the resistance fade and he looked around for Stiles, but the Alpha Chimera was gone. Corey was looking at him directly as they lifted him inside, “Don't let them do it! Don't let them kill me!”

 _I’m coming, Corey, we need you. Did the Doctors break their word, or is this just another failure?_ Theo turned to Scott, “We have to follow them. You're here to protect him, right?” Theo stared as Scott stood motionless. “Scott! Scott, come on!” He gestured at the retreating ambulance. “Scott, this is what you do!” That seemed to shake Scott from his trance and he ran over to the student parking lot, Theo following close behind.

 

Theo sped out of the parking lot, following the traffic as it streamed into the center of town. There was tense silence in the truck as he concentrated on the drive, Scott staring out the window. After a few minutes, the werewolf turned to him, “Hey, what did you want to talk to me about?”

Theo sighed and shook his head, “It can wait.”

“No, no, if something's wrong, you've got to tell me. We've all got to start talking to one another again.” Scott twisted in his seat to look at him. “Is something wrong with Stiles?”

Theo started to talk, seemingly ignoring Scott's question. “He's a good person, loyal to his friends, would do anything for them. But this...secret has been eating him up inside for weeks. Knowing something like this, he wants to tell you, but,” Theo shook his head again, avoiding Scott's eyes. “But he can't, or he feels he can't. He thinks he's done something wrong, hiding it from you, from his Dad, from everyone. It's my fault.” Theo slowed at a stop sign, glancing at Scott. “He was just helping me, even though deep down he knew he shouldn't have.”

“What are you talking about, Theo?” Scott frowned at him. “You can tell me.”

“Everything will be different, even if you...”

“Do you think I'm going to be angry?”

“As long as you promise not to be angry with him, then I don't care.” Theo blinked, feeling his eyes water. _Oh, real tears, feeling emotional are we? Keep it together, Theo._ “Donovan was a chimera, a bad one, nasty as they come; half wendigo, half something else with real sharp teeth.”

“How do you know this?” Scott asked slowly.

“Because he came after Stiles, I was there, I was in the library after hours, it's quiet, no shouting, no yelling, no broken furniture.” _Oh, nicely played, adding in pretend abusive parents. You are such a monster!_ Theo pressed on, ignoring the thought as he slowed the car to the speed limit. “Stiles came rushing inside in a hurry; he was panting, out of breath, afraid. I hid because I wasn't sure he wanted to see me, I know he didn't trust me then. And then the chimera, Donovan, Stiles called him, came in after him. I could see immediately that he wanted to hurt Stiles. Walked around talking about how he was going to butcher Stiles and leave his body on the Sheriff's cruiser in pieces.” Theo took a quick look at Scott, seeing him swallow awkwardly. He continued speaking, eyes fixing on a spot some twenty feet ahead, talking about the events as though they had actually happened. “I wasn't going to let that happen. I jumped up, pushed Donovan away from Stiles, but he was already injured, his shoulder had been bitten, he was bleeding. I stood in front of him, told Donovan he wasn't getting to him, gave him every opportunity to run or leave, but he didn't. I, I, I, I didn't mean to kill him, it was self-defense! But the chimera just kept coming closer and closer and he, and he...I had no choice, Scott, I had to kill him, I had to protect Stiles.” Theo wiped the tears that were running down his face, looking at Scott, his voice choked with emotion at the end, as though unable to continue. _Probably your best performance yet, Theo, I actually feel the emotion, hahaha._ He rubbed his eyes again, ignoring the maniacal laughter echoing in his mind. 

Scott was silent for the rest of the trip to the hospital. Theo glanced at him occasionally but the werewolf avoided his eyes. Once he pulled to a stop, he cleared his throat. “Scott?”

There was no reply, other than the unbuckling of the seat belt.

“Look, Scott, I meant what I said,” Theo let his voice turn into a whine. “Don’t be angry with Stiles, be angry with me, kick me out of your pack, never speak to me again, just don’t-” 

“I can’t.” Scott broke in, speaking through gritted teeth. “I can’t do any of those things. I’m not losing Stiles to you. You’re his first boyfriend, I think he might actually be in love with you and I am not forcing that choice.” He looked at Theo angrily. “We don’t kill people, Theo, but your eyes are yellow, aren’t they?”

Theo showed Scott. “They are.”

“Donovan, he probably could have been saved, but he wasn’t innocent. The eyes don’t lie.” Scott ran a hand through his hair, “Look, I don’t like this, but right now I need help. Malia is hiding something from us, Liam is totally occupied with Hayden and I have no idea where Deaton is. I don’t agree with what you did Theo, I can’t forgive you for that, but, fuck it, I need your help.”

Theo listened to Scott speak without interruption and nodded as the werewolf glanced at him. “Ok, you have my help. Please don’t tell Stiles we talked, just, be nicer to him or something.”

Scott frowned at Theo’s words but didn’t respond, opening the door instead.

 

Theo followed Scott inside the hospital, skidding to a halt as they confronted a scene of panic and confusion. “They're already here.” Scott muttered. 

Theo frowned and looked around, closing his eyes to better catch Corey’s scent, but his nostrils filled with the smell of mercury and blood. He and Scott rounded the corner to see the medics that brought Corey in being tended to on the floor beside a flipped trolley. 

“This wasn't them,” Theo replied. 

“It was Corey.” Scott said, glancing at Theo, “C'mon, we have to find him!”

Theo nodded, “Yeah, he's not here.” 

 

Stiles looked up as the bell finally rang, he had read the same page for the past thirty minutes. He grabbed his books and was out of the study room before it stopped sounding. 

Corey. 

Another one lost, and Hayden was probably next. It was fear that had him distracted, fear that things would go back to the way they were before he had felt the power of the chimeras run through him; back to just being an ordinary, impotent human. Well, the purple eyes were different. But it was more than just the thoughts of losing the chimeras, Stiles could feel them slipping away from him completely, could feel them disappearing back into the fog. There was nothing he could do to save them and Theo wasn't able to help him. He walked down the stairs quickly, eager to leave, call it a day. Mid-way through the period there had been a moment where a haze descended on him, darkness, pain, and then it was gone. It had been as though another chimera was near him, but then disappeared. _Maybe. It was weak though._ Stiles frowned, his thoughts were becoming darker and more disturbing the more he used his chimera abilities. _I’ll ask Theo about it, he said that the Overmind came from other chimeras, failed ones. I wonder if he knows anything else?_

Malia was walking determinedly towards him, and Stiles stopped, frowning as he saw her expression. Defeat, despair, hopelessness. Something had happened. She looked on the verge of crying. “Malia? Hey! Hey, what happened?” He caught her arm as she stumbled by him and this seemed to jolt her out of her thoughts. She looked at him.

“I hate this. I hate losing like this.” She spoke in a matter-of-the-fact way, even as tears ran from her eyes. “I'm not like Scott, I can't deal with another body. Another failure.”

Stiles blinked in confusion as she pulled free of him and he watched her walk down the hallway. _So that was it? Another chimera dead?_

 

Theo ran through the crowded hallways looking around for Corey as much as he was looking for the Dread Doctors, knowing they weren’t far behind a dying chimera. _But how are we meant to find a chimera who can turn invisible? Stiles mustn’t be happy, he really wanted Corey to be part of the…well, whatever it is._ He skidded to a halt at the end of the hallway as Scott joined him.

“None of the security guards have found him.”

“I haven't seen anything either.” Theo sighed, shaking his head. He was about to speak again when the lights flickered out, emergency bulbs kicking in, the elevator door behind Scott shuddering open and closed. Then he heard that familiar static buzz that heralded their arrival. He glanced at Scott, “Is it…?”

“Now, they're here.” The werewolf replied heavily. “We have to hurry.”

 

“Over here!”

Theo followed Scott's cry and slowed to a stop when he saw the werewolf crouching beside Corey. Scott didn't say anything and Theo reached out to touch Corey's neck, even though he couldn't hear the chimera's heartbeat. “Still warm, this just happened.” _Damn it! What are they doing? The Overmind only works with other chimeras!_

“I’m going to look around.” Scott muttered, standing up. 

Theo nodded and fished out his phone. “Stiles? It’s me. Yeah, we found him. I’m sorry.” He listened for a moment. “No, it looks as though it was quick. His blood is still tacky, we just missed them.” There was another pause as Stiles talked and Theo glanced at Scott. “Yeah, I know, we need to find Hayden, but you should warn Lydia because-Yeah. Ok, I’ll meet you at the school.” He turned to Scott, wiping Corey’s silver blood on the seat of his trousers. “We better go. Someone will find him, or maybe Parrish already knows he's dead.”

“We need to find Hayden.” Scott replied, nodding slowly. 

 

Stiles hung up again and dialled Lydia for the fourth time, groaning as he got her voicemail. “Lydia, for the love all the freaking saints, answer your damn phone!” He took the stairs quickly, re-dialling and then leaving another message. “We've got another dead chimera, so two dead chimeras, and now is probably not a great time to be alone with Parrish! If he's coming to get the bodies, you can't get in his way, just let him go. Lydia, DO NOT get in his way." Stiles finished his message, emphasizing the last sentence with his hand as his voice hardened. The Alpha Chimera hung up as his Dad’s cruiser screamed into the parking lot, joining the rest of the deputies that had gathered around the crime scene. He looked over the tape towards where the dead chimera was lying, seeing Theo passing by the crime scene. “Finally.” The Sheriff was closer to that end of the hallway and Stiles frowned when he saw his Dad pulling Theo to one side, hand on his shoulder. _What the hell?_ He tried to follow them, but one of the officers he didn't quite recognise pushed him back and Stiles decided not to force the issue. _Theo can take care of himself._

 

Theo let the Sheriff pull him forward, past the covered body of the dead chimera. “Uh, yeah?” 

“Where's Scott?”

“He's looking for Liam, thinks he's with Hayden,” Theo replied, glancing around. 

“Alright,” The Sheriff nodded, lowering his voice further, “I need a word with you.”

“Stiles is-”

“Just you.” The Sheriff replied firmly, guiding him away from the crime scene. Theo walked reluctantly with him, looking around for Stiles, but he wasn’t able to see him. The Sheriff led him into the locker room, after checking it was empty. 

Theo frowned at him, confused. “What do you want?”

“Show me your library card, the one that allows you to have late night access to the buildings.”

Theo swallowed visibly and dug his wallet out of his pocket, handing the card to the police officer. There was a sinking feeling in his stomach as the Sheriff turned the card over in his hands, considering it. Finally, the man looked up at Theo.

“Do you have any idea what this is about?”

“I think so.” Theo admitted, leaning against the racks. He moistened his lips, appearing nervous, “Am I gonna need a lawyer?”

“You tell me.”

“Stiles isn't....” Theo paused and let his eyes fill with tears again, gulping uneasily, avoiding the man's eyes. “He didn't have anything to do with this. He wasn't-” He sniffled, rubbing his eyes angrily.

“But Donovan was there.” The Sheriff watched his reactions closely. “He was a chimera.”

“A wendigo. He was looking for Stiles, was gonna kill him.” Theo spoke unevenly, in broken sentences as he related his imagined version of that night, managing to convince himself that it had really happened that way. “I was at the library, it was late, studying, and there was a noise outside. I got up to look and Stiles came running in, out of breath, afraid. I wasn't going to go near him because I knew he didn't trust me, didn't like me, but, then he hid and I just knew something was wrong. The chimera, Donovan, he followed Stiles inside and was talking crazy, ranting about how he wanted to kill Stiles, butcher him in front of the Sheriff, in front of you, and I knew I couldn't just, I didn't want to, but Stiles was unarmed.” Theo cleared his throat, his eyes welling with emotion, blinking the tears away as the Sheriff looked the other way. He moved closer to the Sheriff, catching his gaze. “So, I stood up and I confronted him, stood between Stiles and Donovan. And he kept coming closer and I told him to leave, that he wasn't getting Stiles, but he wouldn't stop. There was a scaffolding platform in the center of the floor and I pushed Stiles to go and climb it, try and get him out of harm's way.”

“What happened next, Theo?” The Sheriff asked quietly.

“Donovan kept coming, he, he distracted me, tried to climb up after Stiles, I pulled him down and in the struggle, all these metal bars came falling down. Stiles was hanging off the edge of the platform and Donovan knocked me over, I was trying to stand but he was going to get Stiles and hurt him, and I couldn't, I, I reached for the nearest bar and...” He was silent for a moment, breaking eye contact with the Sheriff, tears streaming down his cheeks, eyes red and his voice was choked with emotion. Theo looked up, muttering the final words. “I killed him.”

The Sheriff didn't say anything.

“Stiles wanted to call you straight away, and he called the station, but I don't know, he hung up, and I told him to go, I'd clean up, cover any evidence of him being there, wipe his prints from the phone, figure something out for the body.” Theo kept talking, almost uncontrolled as he tried to explain. “I used my key card to make it seem like I was the only one there, but when I came back in the body was gone, all the blood cleaned up, I freaked out. But,” He rubbed his eyes again and wiped his face with the back of one hand as he blinked at the Sheriff, “It was my fault, Sheriff, Stiles didn't have anything to do with, anything he didn't tell you was because he was trying to protect me! It was my fault and I should have said something sooner, but I didn't. I didn’t know how, I’m, I'm sorry.” He looked away, his lips trembling and felt his hands shaking.

“Ok, Ok,” The Sheriff whispered and pulled the crying teenager into a hug. 

Theo let the man grip him and peeked over the top of his shoulder as his mind filled with cruel laughter. _Hahahaha! Oh, Theo, what a performance! How delicious, I almost believed it myself!_

“Ok, Theo, it’s alright.” The Sheriff pulled back, resting his hands on Theo’s shoulders, before pulling out a clean tissue for him. “Here, dry your eyes, wipe your face.” He sighed, “Ok, look, leaving aside the fact that Donovan was a chimera, what you just described to me is a clear example of self-defense.”

“It is?” Theo looked at him through puffy eyes.

“Yeah.” The Sheriff gestured for him to keep the tissue. “Stiles didn’t tell me you were dating him, but I saw you together one evening.”

“I can-”

“No, listen,” The man interrupted, “You saved his life, and considering what you teenagers end up dealing with in this town, I’m glad that he has someone watching out for him, who obviously, ahem, cares.” He cleared his throat awkwardly. 

 

“What the hell did you tell my father?” Stiles demanded when Theo finally climbed into the truck. “Theo?”

“Nothing.” Theo avoided his gaze, rubbing his eyes clear.

“What’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing, allergies.” He muttered, fumbling for the key.

“Werewolves don’t get allergies, and I’m pretty sure that fake ones don’t either.” Stiles replied suspiciously. “But what did you tell him? I saw him talking to you, and just now he came over and gave me a hug.”

“So? Doesn’t your Dad show you affection?” Theo finally started the engine, glancing at Stiles.

“Well, yeah, but that was like a ‘your puppy just died’ hug. Theo?”

“He wanted to tell me that he knew about us. About me dating you.” Theo waited for Stiles’ response, but his boyfriend just grunted. “He said he was glad you had someone to care for you.”

“Oh, of course, because you’re a werewolf.” Stiles muttered darkly. “Fine, let’s just go, Scott has tracked Liam and Hayden to the gay club where she works.”

“Ok.” Theo pulled out of the lot and followed Stiles’ directions.

“Theo? Do you know why they’re doing this? What are they after with all these experiments?”

“I still don’t know, Stiles.” He glanced at the Alpha Chimera, “There must be a bigger plan, something they’ve come here for, something that involves you.”

“Great.” Stiles murmured. “Hey, stop here. Ok, so the club is a block to your right, but my Jeep is driveable, drop me at the mechanic and I’ll pick it up and join you guys.”

“Got it.”

 

Theo burst through the doors of the club, following the sounds of fighting to the main room. Liam was scrambling to his feet after being thrown back and Theo grabbed his shoulder. “Get Hayden outta here! Go! I’ll cover your back!” 

Liam nodded at him and darted around the Doctor as Theo squared off against the Surgeon. The chimera knew that his attacks would have little effect. _Make it look good Theo._

 _I don't have to,_ He mentally replied, _They broke their word..._ Theo growled menacingly at the Doctor and launched himself forward. The Surgeon was impervious to his first punch, his claws scrapping harmlessly across the leather armor he was so accustomed to washing and repairing. The Doctor lashed out with one arm and threw him backwards with no apparent effort. Theo snarled and jumped back up. He closed the distance but before he could try another strike, the Surgeon’s hand shot out and wrapped around his neck. Theo gasped, feeling the Doctor squeezing slightly, pinning him against one of the pole. A quick glance to his right confirmed that Scott was out cold.

“I need more time. I have Stiles where we need him, he's mine; ours. Just one more day and their pack will be broken, he'll-”

“Perigee-syzygy, until then.” The Surgeon interrupted, leaning in to make his point clearer. “Perigee-syzygy.” The Doctor repeated and crushed tightly. Theo gasped for air, but the Doctor threw him down on the hard ground, walking away without another glance in his direction.

Theo rolled over onto his side, coughing, his features returning to human. _That sucked._ He was getting his breath back as Scott stood up. 

“Where's Hayden?” The werewolf demanded.

Theo shook his head, rubbing the bruised skin at his neck. “Dunno. Must be here somewhere.”

“Are you ok?”

“Yeah. I’ll live.” Theo climbed to his feet to join Scott. He gestured towards the back room, “There, that's where I saw Liam head for.” He followed the werewolf, until they found them, moving past him as Liam tried to comfort a distressed Hayden. “What happened?” Theo breathed in the air around them, the metallic taste of mercury was heavy. He looked at Scott, “We should leave, go somewhere else, somewhere more defendable.”

Scott nodded in agreement, beckoning his Beta over. “Yeah, but, answer Theo’s question, Liam.”

Liam approached them, looking at Scott. “I saw the needle go in, and her eyes just filled up with mercury. They turned completely silver!”

“She looks ok right now.” Theo said, gesturing at Hayden. “Maybe she'll heal.”

“Or maybe she won't.” Scott replied flatly as Liam glared angrily at him.

 _Damn, unravelling already, Alpha?_ The taunting tone of the thought made Theo grit his teeth, stopping himself from grinning. Instead, he let his brows widen in surprise and glanced at the Alpha. “Scott?”

“What if something's happening to her on the inside?” Liam asked Theo, as Hayden looked at them over her shoulder.

Theo shook his head. “I don’t know. But we can’t stay here.”

Scott looked at him, “Take them to the Animal Clinic, I'll meet you there.”

 

Theo glanced back at Liam and Hayden. “I’ll go as fast as I can, hold on.”

“Ok.” He was distracted by her unresponsive body and Theo nodded, turning back to gun the engine. Rain started to fall heavily, obscuring the road ahead. 

Theo reached over to his phone, one eye on the road. “Stiles? Can you hear me?”

“Yeah, I can, I’m just starting the Jeep. Alternator is still a pain in the-”

“Stiles, Hayden’s in bad shape.” Theo broke in, and called back to Liam, “Keep her awake, I don't think it's a good idea for her to fall asleep.”

“How bad is it?” Stiles asked.

“You’re on loudspeaker, by the way, just Hayden and Liam, Scott’s gone on ahead: Animal Clinic.”

“Yeah, great, Theo. But, how is she?”

“The Doctors injected her with something, mercury poisoning, I think. It’s not good.” Theo shook his head, “I don’t know anything about mercury poisoning!”

“We have to be able to do something. Look, my Jeep is barely running here, but I'll be there as quick as I can.”

“Ok, be careful, Stiles.” Theo hung up and looked back at Liam's worried face. “We'll figure it out.”

“Is she going to heal?”

“I don't know, Liam. I mean, the problem is that she's not like us, they're, they're like cheap knock-offs, they might not be as strong as we are.”

“They heal like we do.”

“She's not a real werewolf.” He replied softly. _She's not even much of a chimera..._

“Well, what if we turn her into one?”

“It's a nice idea, the bite would probably save her.” He glanced in the rear-view mirror. “Neither of us have that power though.”

“Scott does. He can save her!”

_Yes he can._

 

Stiles braked hard as he pulled into the gravel lot of the Animal Clinic, seeing Theo’s truck just to one side. Scott was climbing off his bike. Stiles hopped out of his Jeep and moved over towards them. “Hey, sorry I'm late, I had trouble starting the Jeep. The thing is barely hanging on.” He pushed his wet hair out of his eyes, looking at Hayden and Liam. Scott gestured for them to head inside. Theo lingered beside Stiles.

“You better go inside too, Theo.” Scott said quietly, not looking at his best friend.

Stiles frowned in confusion. “Scott? What's going on?”

“Stiles, I-” Theo started, reaching for Stiles’ hand.

“Inside, now!” Scott growled at Theo, red eyes flashing dangerously. Theo balked and looked apologetically at Stiles.

The Alpha Chimera nodded. “Go on, I'll be fine.”

Theo left him reluctantly, pushing open the door to the clinic.

The rain hammered relentlessly around him, but Stiles didn't feel it. Instead he looked at Scott cautiously, his heart rate spiking, “What's wrong, Scott?” His tone was even, “Something you don't want Theo to hear? You know I'm going to tell him anyway, right? We’ve got no secrets.”

“No secrets.” Scott echoed back derisively. “I remember when we had no secrets, Stiles.”

“What? What does that mean?”

“I know about Donovan, Stiles. I know what happened to him.”

Stiles looked at him slowly, his tone quiet, dangerous. “And what happened to him, Scott?”

“Theo told me everything. Donovan is dead, He told me the truth.” Scott was looking at him carefully. 

Stiles met his eyes briefly, feeling a flutter of his abilities-Theo was close enough to give him enhanced senses, and the Alpha Chimera was used to the scent of fear by now. After a moment of silence, he spoke not quite at Scott. “He told you truth, did he? All of it?”

“You're not trying to defend him, are you Stiles? Not after what he did!”

“Defend him? Why would I...oh.” Stiles stopped speaking as Scott frowned.

“No, no, no, you couldn't have!” 

“Why? Because I'm just a human?” He shook his head. “I don't think you know what happened that night, Theo was there, sure, but after it, not during.”

“After what?” Scott asked reluctantly.

“I think you know.” Stiles replied quietly, looking at the ground.

“Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you tell me when it happened?”

“I couldn't.” Stiles glanced at him through the rain. “I just couldn’t.”

“You killed him?” Scott asked him directly, “You killed Donovan?”

"He was gonna kill my Dad. Was I supposed to just let him?"

"How could you...I don't. Why didn't you walk away? Or call me? Or-"

"Or what?" Stiles looked away, avoiding Scott's eyes. He muttered under his breath "You think I had a choice?"

"There’s always a choice, Stiles!" Scott cried out.

"Easy for you to say, Scott, it's always been easy for you to make the right choice." He spat the words at the werewolf. "But I can't do that. I'm not you. I know you probably would have just figured something out right?"

"I try to." Scott avoided Stiles' furious gaze. 

"Yeah, because you’re Scott McCall! You’re the True fucking Alpha!" Stiles voice rose as he paced back and forth in front of the werewolf, his tone hardening as he spoke. "Well, guess what, Scott? Not all of us can be True Alphas! Some of us have to make mistakes, have to get our hands a little bloody to save the people we love, to protect ourselves when the big bad wolf isn't around to do it. Some of us are just human!" Stiles glared at him, as a thought flittered across his mind. _But not anymore._

Scott looked away in the face of his friend's anger. "So, you had to kill him?"

"Scott, he was going to kill my Dad, don't you get that?"

"But you hid it from me, from all of us, except Theo of course."

"You leave him out of this." Stiles growled. "He was only trying to protect me. I didn't tell you because I knew you wouldn't understand, and it looks like I was right." 

“God…” Scott muttered and then frowned, "What did you mean, get your hands a little bloody?"

Stiles laughed shortly, Scott stared at him. "Scott, killing a wendigo is hard, killing anything supernatural is hard. You think I just bashed his head in with a wrench? He, uh, got impaled on a metal bar." Stiles breathed out hard, "He was coming after me, I climbed the scaffolding in the center of the library, there was a struggle, it was an accident. I didn’t deliberately kill him." Stiles shrugged as he pointed out the difference, but Scott still looked serious.

"But he's dead. If it was just an accident, then why not tell me?"

"Because you'd still look at me the way you are right now. Besides, you'd want me to feel remorse, or guilt, or some other useless emotion. But I don't." Stiles shook his head. “Not at all.”

"But, but, Stiles," Scott struggled for words, looking around him, "I don't know, Stiles, the way that you're describing it, the fact you don't feel guilty. Did you enjoy it or something?" 

"What are you talking about, Scott?" Stiles looked him in the eyes, "I didn't have a choice. Wait, you don't even believe me, do you?"

"I want to." Scott muttered.

"Okay, alright so believe me then. Scott, say you believe me." Stiles stepped closer to him, confused as to why Scott didn't understand. The werewolf pulled back slightly and the Alpha Chimera frowned. “Say it. Say you believe me!”

"Stiles, we can’t kill people that we’re trying to save." Scott looked away from his friend.

"Save?" Stiles spat the word at him. "If ever there was a _monster_ , Donovan fit the bill! He wanted to eat me! He wanted to murder my Dad, you weren't there, Scott! You don't try and save someone, something like that. You put it down."

"Stiles! How can you say that?"

Stiles turned away from Scott for a moment, seeing a distorted reflection of himself in his Jeep's headlamp. His eyes flashed purple once, but he reined it in. He could tell Scott the whole truth, but that would put everything at risk, and from the way Scott was acting it was just as likely to get the same result. His eyes faded back to brown, and he turned around looking at Scott, his voice calmer. "I killed him, Scott, I own that, I'll live with that. He died bloody, and I'm never gonna get that image out of my mind. But he left me no choice, and you weren't there, Scott, huh, where were you? What happens when you can't save me? I'm meant to die, I'm meant to roll over, just because the True Alpha himself isn't there to make everything better?"

"You didn't have to kill him. You didn't have to-"

"I did what I had to, Scott!" He barked angrily. "Can't you just accept that? Can't you believe me when I say it was self-defense?"

"What about Theo? Did he help you cover it up? Or are you covering for him?" 

"Don't be a fool." Stiles dismissed the question with a gesture. "His eyes are yellow, he's never taken an innocent life. And honestly, Scott, I could do with his level of pragmatism, considering the fact that he was willing to lose everything just to spare me telling you the truth."

"I can't...I can't look at you right now, just go Stiles. Get outta here!" Scott turned away as Stiles frowned.

"But, what do I do about this? What do you want me to do, okay?" He didn't understand Scott's reaction. "Scott, just tell me how to fix this, alright? Please just tell me what do you want me to do?"

"Just, leave. Go talk to your Dad, I'm not...we're through." Scott turned away pushing the door to the Animal Clinic shut behind him.

"Scott? Scott!" Stiles called after him. "Damn it! What the fuck, Theo?" He felt the anger and sorrow rush around him, his eyes burned with purple fire as he returned to his Jeep, seeing his reflection in the glass. Stiles felt his fury overwhelm him and punched the side of his Jeep, the metal denting. "Gah! Fuck!" He looked down at his bruised knuckles, the wound from when he punched the mirror had ripped open from the impact. The Alpha Chimera ignored the blood and the throbbing ache developing in his hand and climbed into his battered Jeep, driving off, silently fuming. _You’ll regret this._ Stiles wasn’t sure who that was directed at, and the darkness surrounding him was only broken by the sight of his burning purple gaze.

 

Theo looked at Scott as the werewolf strode into the Animal Clinic. “Scott, I-”

“Don’t.” Scott cut him off, “I appreciate what you were trying to do, Theo, but right now I do not need to hear it. How’s Hayden?”

“Wait, you can’t just let him go.” Theo shook his head, moving to open the front door. He stopped when Scott called out to him.

“If you leave now, Theo, you’re out of the pack, forever. Stay and help and maybe we can salvage something from this.” 

_What? You would try and make a deal with me? Hurt my boyfriend and not even act like you’re upset? You just wait, Scott McCall, you’ll pay, but first, you’ll watch your pack crumble around you!_ Theo grinned savagely as the thought came to him, letting it fade and turned to face Scott. “Fine.” He led Scott into the examination room, gesturing at Hayden and Liam. “It's got to be some kind of mercury poisoning.” Theo hung back as Scott moved closer to them. “Can you help them, Scott?”

“I don’t…” He trailed off as Liam fixed him with a furious glare.

“Hey, Scott, c'mon, you said you'd do everything you could to save her. You remember that, right? Help her, please.” Liam was begging now. “If she's a real werewolf we can save her.”

Theo watched the conflict rage across Scott's face. _Delicious. Suffer, say no, go on, say it, you son of a bitch, let’s stoke that little ball of fury one more time into your undoing!_

“You gotta give her the Bite!” Liam cried at him.

Scott considered for a moment, before looking up at his Beta. “No.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I know there hasn't really been any sex scenes in this story-there will be in the future- but I just haven't been getting the same level of satisfaction as I used to when writing them, and there's nothing worse than an unenthusiastic sex scene!


	10. Challenger

“No?” Liam repeated slowly, moving forward until he was standing right in front of Scott. “What do you mean, ‘no’?”

Theo watched them carefully, keeping his face expressionless even as a smirk threatened to turn his lips. Scott leant back slightly, gesturing at Hayden. He spoke softly, trying to reason with the upset Beta.

“Liam, look at her, she’s too weak; it’ll kill her.”

Liam shot a look back at Theo. “You said it would work!”

“I said it could work, but if Scott thinks-”

“No!” Liam turned away, anger making his hands shake.

“We don't know what the mercury is doing to her, we don't even know if it is actually mercury.” Scott pointed out, pulling Liam around to face him. “This can't be the only way to save her life.”

Theo felt his lips curl into a smirk as he saw Liam glare at Scott, his rage and upset clear to see. “You promised.” The Beta spat at Scott. “You said you'd do everything you could.”

“Liam, I…”

 _Oh, Scott, don't try and be reasonable with him! Tell him to shut up, tell him to back down, act like an Alpha for fuck's sake!_ Theo let his hands ball into fists as he resisted the urge to speak up, instead allowing the two werewolves to argue with each other. 

_Fuel for the fire…_

“Scott, you said-”

“I know what I said, Liam, but that's exactly why I'm not going to do something that I think is going to kill her.” Scott replied furiously, before swallowing hard. He grasped his chest as his asthma constrained his breathing. Theo flicked his eyes away from Liam, and locked onto Scott, the sheen of sweat, or perhaps it was rainwater, caught on the exposed skin of his chest. The chimera could hear the struggle in his lungs and reached inside his jacket, hand around the inhaler the Pathologist had prepared for him earlier. “There...has...to...be...” Scott couldn't breathe, the words faltering as he grasped at his throat desperately.

“Hey!” Theo called out, throwing the inhaler towards the werewolf. Scott turned and grabbed it eagerly, uncapping the device and shaking it. He took a long puff and it seemed to relieve his attack. Theo smiled a little, _That's right, you can't even smell it, can you? Not even going to think about why I have one? Well, I suppose your Beta is taking all your attention._

“Liam, there has to be another way to save her.” Scott said firmly as Hayden moaned suddenly. 

Theo frowned and pushed past them, crouching beside her. “Guys, I don't know the statistics for surviving a werewolf bite, but I know she won't last much longer unless we do something. She'll definitely die if you do nothing, but at least this way she'll have a chance.” He glanced at Scott as Liam caught his gaze, nodding. “We need to do something!”

 

Stiles nursed his aching hand in his lap; the bleeding had mostly stopped by now; a dark red stain on his skin. He glanced at the cut, as a thought sprang unbidden into his mind. “Heh, if Theo was here…” Stiles muttered to himself, remembering the way the chimera had been obsessed about the look, the feel, of blood on his skin. A twinge of pain along his knuckles made Stiles gasp, “Ah. Fuck!” The Jeep began to chug as he eased off the gas, the engine warning light flicking on in the dashboard. “No, no, no! Come on!” The engine spluttered unhealthily and smoke began curling out of the buckled metal of the hood. Stiles directed the Jeep towards the sidewalk, but as he did so, the smoke started to enter the cabin. Coughing and waving it away, Stiles yanked the parking brake up and jumped out, slamming the bent door behind him. 

“Are you fucking kidding me?!” He yelled at it. Stiles managed to control his anger, even as he glared at the Jeep. “At least it has stopped raining…” The street was dark, the light given by the moon overhead was barely enough to see by. Stiles closed his eyes, and then opened them; his normal brown orbs replaced by burning purple embers. He wasn’t sure how he did it, he needed to see better and so he could; it wasn't like when he had Theo with him, but it was just enhanced enough to outclass a human. Scott had never offered a good enough explanation of how he could just turn on the werewolf inside him, a fact that Stiles used to find exasperating. Now, he understood. Of course, Scott had a lot of benefits that he didn’t. Stiles paused in front of the Jeep as the memory of the ghost-like claws that had covered his fingers the night before came to mind. “Has to be more to this Alpha Chimera thing than just better senses…” He murmured and pulled back the hood. 

The engine was still smoking and he batted it away. The block was a mass of charred duct tape and soot-covered metal. “Fuck.” He went around to the back, pulling a bottle of water from the trunk. “Maybe the radiator is fried again.” Stiles coughed to clear his throat and lent over the engine, reaching for the cap. He could feel the heat from the plastic cover and pulled back, searching his tool box for a wrench. His fingers scrabbled in the empty slot. “Where’s…oh.” Stiles straightened up, looking at the toolbox. “Donovan.” There was silence for a moment as he just looked at the box. 

“Argh!!!” The Alpha Chimera yelled his frustration at the empty street, grabbing the box of tools and throwing it away from him, wrenches spilling out of the open compartment. “Fuck!” He kicked the bottle of water high into the air, not caring that it spilled all over his trousers; they were wet anyway. His rage still wasn’t sated and Stiles punched the front of the Jeep with both hands, his flesh hitting the metal grill with a sickening crack. “Agh!” Stiles screamed in agony as the fresh wound split open and blood streamed down his hand again, tears pricking his eyes. The Alpha Chimera staggered away from the Jeep, his feet tripping over a tool from his set. Stiles looked down, his teeth clenched as he swore repeatedly under his breath, but he picked up the wrench, weighed it in one hand and then flung it at the windshield with all of his strength. He watched the glass shatter and crack. "Good..." 

Stiles stood in the street, chest heaving up and down, his wounded hand was a mass of pain as blood dripped slowly down his fingers. The anger drained away and all he was left with were Scott’s words, the disappointment in his friend’s voice, the way he didn’t understand how it had been necessary. _Why didn’t he understand?_ Stiles walked slowly back to his Jeep, resting against the side, before sliding down to sit against the wheel, his vision dimming as his eyes returned to their normal hue. “Where are you, Theo?” He spoke in a quiet voice, looking up at the clouds, “I could really use you right now.” Stiles leant his head back against the tire.

 

Stiles stood up after ten minutes of sitting on the cold, wet ground, the uncomfortable sensation of recently dried boxers becoming wet again was enough to force him upright. He gathered his tools half-heartedly and repaired the Jeep as best he could, topping up the radiator with water and waiting for the engine to cool down. Stiles sat in the driver’s seat, his phone on his lap. _Nothing, Theo, really? You must have heard something that went on between me and Scott._ Stiles hesitated over the display, unsure of what to say. “Theo,” Stiles muttered as he tapped the keys, “I need you.” The Alpha Chimera paused before pressing send. 

Theo’s response was almost immediate, _Can’t right now, Hayden needs me._

“Hayden? I’m your boyfriend!” Stiles angrily replied.

_I can help save her, we need chimeras, Stiles, Scott won’t let me help if I go to you._

“Oh, he won’t, will he?” Stiles muttered. “Fine, fine.” He was about to follow-up again when another text came through from Theo. _gtg: Scott. Talk later?_ “Fuck!” Stiles swore under his breath, and threw the phone down onto the seat beside him with an irritated grunt. He rested his hands on the steering wheel, reaching down to turn the keys when something made him stop. An instinctual awareness of someone being behind him. Stiles looked into the back seats, but found nothing. The road ahead was suddenly brighter and he flipped down the vanity mirror, frowning when he saw that his eyes had turned purple. Stiles was aware of everything around him; the creaking of the Jeep’s suspension when he moved in his seat, the acrid smell of burnt duct tape, the sensation of his wet pullover as it shifted against his skin. _The last time I even came close to this was with Theo, Corey, and Hayden all nearby…What’s going on?_ The Alpha Chimera rolled down his fogged up window and looked into the night.

He blinked as a shape slowly emerged from the mist that had crept around the Jeep. “What the…” Stiles trailed off when the massive bulk shifted, a presence tall enough that his head tipped back to see it properly, and then light pierced the darkness, two bright, burning blue chips that Stiles realised were eyes. The face behind them was lost in the shadow and fog, but he felt the connection between them; an almost magnetic draw. Stiles gasped as he felt heat spread through his body. He pushed back his sleeves and stared at the purple fire swimming under his skin, along his veins. The creature had moved closer to the Jeep, although its true size was still lost in the mist. Stiles looked up as their eyes locked on, the intensity of the gaze was almost painful, and then after a moment, it was gone. The creature, the chimera, moved on. Stiles opened the door and slid out of the Jeep, walking through the fog, but it had disappeared. “That was a chimera, had to be.” He whispered to himself, looking at his hands as the purple fire faded away. “Is that what I’m meant to be controlling?” Stiles turned back to the Jeep as the police scanner squawked, and a static-fried message came through. He heard the dispatcher respond, still staring off into the swirling fog. 

“10-9 Dispatch. I'm southbound on Fryman following suspicious individual loping in the middle of the road.”

Stiles’ attention was dragged back to the Jeep when the officer’s response came through. “What the hell?”

“Seven, clarify ‘loping.’”

“Running on all fours. Suspect is possibly a large animal.”

“You have got to be kidding me,” Stiles muttered to himself as he turned the key in the ignition. The Jeep spluttered into life just as another Deputy responded to the call.

“Unit 5 to Dispatch, I’m turning the corner on Lincoln. Suspect is no longer loping but running.”

 _Oh yeah, great, give away everything while you’re at it, stupid, bloody chimeras!_ Stiles thought to himself, finally getting the Jeep in motion. 

“10-4 Unit 5. Clarify ‘running?’”

“Two legs. Moving fast.”

“Copy. What’s your speed?”

“45 to 50. Advise that suspect is too large to be human.”

 _No shit, give me your damn location, Deputy!_ Stiles reached back to crank the volume on the radio, the response blaring before he turned it back down. 

“Unit 8 to Dispatch, advise coming up on Taft. Animal is back on all fours and… HOLY…”

Stiles glanced at the radio as the sounds of the patrol car skidding off the road came scrambled over the channel. “Fuck, I’m…no, no, no!” Stiles was forced to slow down again as smoke poured from under the hood. “C’mon!” His father was speaking to the Deputies and Stiles groaned as he heard Unit Eight’s response.

“10-4 Sheriff, suspect just leapt over my car.”

“Dispatch, Unit Five, I have eyes on the suspect, corner of Union headed north toward Beacon Hills High School. Confirm: back on all fours.”

Stiles sighed heavily, but the Jeep’s engine was overheated again, all he could do was listen in horror as Deputy Clark was driven off the road by the massive chimera they were chasing. “Damn it, you better be careful, Dad.” He muttered quietly, as the Sheriff directed all units towards the high school. 

 

He managed to drive the Jeep to his house once the engine had cooled down, before it overheated again and died on the driveway, refusing to start. Stiles stared at it, shaking his head. “Miserable pile of junk…” He wandered inside, grabbing the first aid kit on his way up to his room. There was still no word from Theo, and Stiles hadn’t bothered to tell him about his encounter with the huge chimera. 

The shower was hot, the water pounding into the knots in his back and neck, washing the blood-stained skin clean. He stayed there until it started to turn cold and then reached over to flick the torrent off. Stiles glanced at his reflection in the mirror, wiping the condensation away. His eyes were their normal color, but he could still see the anger in his expression. It wasn’t that he was upset that Theo had told Scott some made-up story about Donovan, but rather that his best friend hadn’t believed that he acted in self-defense, that he had never intended to kill Donovan. He didn’t know anything about the Sacrifice or the consequences of killing the chimera, he had just acted to save his father, to save himself. 

“Scott, you never even considered that, did you? No, you just retreated to your little ‘save them all’ position. Of course, it’s only the failures that need saving.” Stiles glanced at his reflection in the mirror. “Not the successes, not me, not Theo. If he’s the only one I have…but it’s not enough. If Donovan had been more powerful, or if it was a real werewolf, how am I meant to protect myself or my Dad when Scott won’t? When he won’t do what’s necessary?” Stiles flexed his hand slowly, watching the skin pucker and stretch. “It hurts, but maybe that’s a good thing; keeps me focused, Scott would just heal instantly, he doesn’t remember what it’s like to lose, to be afraid of losing.” 

 

Theo played with his phone absently as Liam knelt beside Hayden and Scott paced behind them, waiting for Melissa to arrive. The chimera glanced at the two werewolves, and then slipped out to the waiting room. He unlocked his phone and quickly typed a message to Stiles, _Don’t be mad, ok? Hayden is getting worse, Scott and Liam are at each other’s throats because of the supermoon; it looks like they might kill each other if I leave!_

A moment later his phone vibrated and Theo’s brows rose as he read Stiles’ response. _Not angry with you. Wish you were here, though…Maybe you should let them._

_Um, ok, I’ll try and leave as soon as I can, remember that I’m here because of Hayden, but I’ll find you later today, ok?_ Theo responded quickly as he heard Liam talking to Scott, or snapping at him, really. The chimera turned and stuffed his phone into his back pocket. “Hey Scott.”

“Talking to Stiles?”

“Making sure he got home alright, the Jeep is fucked.” Theo explained, but the Alpha’s scent was hard to read; stressed with maybe a hint of regret. _Too late now, Scott, you’re suffering, but not nearly enough._ “Is your Mom here?”

“Yeah, just arrived.” Scott gestured back towards the examination room. “Come on.”

Theo followed Scott and nodded at Melissa, before helping Liam to lift Hayden onto the table. “Ok, are you going to try something?”

“Yes.” She glanced at him, before gesturing at Scott. “Put the bag on the counter, we need to work fast.”

Theo stood to one side as Scott leant against the counter, Liam pulled a blanket around his girlfriend and Melissa began pulling out large IV bags full of a clear liquid. Theo squeezed the bags carefully, turning them over to read the acronym written on the front. _DMPS, hmm, that could work, I suppose._ There was a sudden flash of a memory rushing to the surface: he was fourteen, the Doctors experimenting on how far mercury could be used as a catalyst, a particularly promising chimera dying as the silver blood spilled from her mouth. Then the Surgeon directed him towards a jar of the clear liquid, the same name. It didn't work that time; too little, too late. Perhaps the same would be true now...

He looked up to find Scott staring at him. Theo shrugged as though he didn’t know what was happening either.

“What’s that?” Liam asked as he watched Melissa hook up a needle to a tube.

“It's called chelation therapy, it removes heavy metals from the blood, but the problem is it can injure the kidneys, and Hayden only has one to begin with so...” Melissa grimaced at him, picking up Hayden’s hand to insert the syringe. The chimera squirmed in discomfort.

“Hey! You're hurting her!” Liam cried out, gripping Melissa's arm tightly.

“And you're hurting me.” She replied calmly.

Theo smirked as he watched Scott force Liam to back down. _Good dog! I wonder does he have any other tricks? I bet Stiles would like to see him roll over!_ The chimera held out his hands between them, “Guys? Remember we're here to save a life, not kill each other.”

“It’s because the full moon is here, we can feel its effects during the day as well as the night,” Scott glared at Liam.

“It’s the supermoon too, that just magnifies everything.” Theo added. “It’ll make us stronger, more powerful.”

“And more aggressive.” Scott still hadn’t taken his eyes off Liam, not seeing the smirk that flashed across Theo’s face.

 

Theo sat down beside Scott in the waiting room, after he helped Melissa set up the drips, leaving Liam to hover over Hayden. The werewolf looked tired, still in the same clothes as the day before. He glanced towards Theo when he settled into the seat.

“Look, uh, about Stiles…”

“You know we’re going to need help with him.” Theo ignored Scott’s words, talking over him instead. The Alpha looked at him strangely. “Liam. We're gonna need help handling Liam; especially tonight.”

“He'll be alright, he's getting better at controlling the shift.”

“Scott,” Theo looked at him, shaking his head, “Liam is 16 and in love, do you remember what that's like?” _Which would be helpful, since I don’t understand what could make such a powerful werewolf turn into a blubbering mess._

“Yeah, I remember.” Scott muttered sadly, “I remember it.”

“All those emotions mixing with the supermoon tonight isn't going to be good, add in him being such a powerful werewolf and you'll never control him on your own. In fact, we'll both be struggling just to control ourselves, never mind looking out for anyone else.” Scott didn’t say anything and Theo pressed on, “We need help. We need the pack.”

“I don't think I have a pack anymore.”

“Let me talk to them, let me talk to Stiles, even if you don't want to see him, he can help with Liam. Especially if Hayden dies, Stiles can help him. Let me see what I can do, ok?” Theo waited, but Scott didn’t reply and he took that as a sign of agreement. Standing up, he reached for the door. “I’ll be back later.”

“Theo?”

The chimera turned, pausing as he pushed the door open, “Yeah?”

“Thank you.” The words looked like they pained him, but Theo nodded emotionlessly and left, smirking to himself once he was out of Scott's view. 

_Think you’re in pain now, Scott? Just you wait…_

 

Stiles watched sadly as his Jeep was towed away, turning to Malia and nodding his thanks as he got into her car. He pulled his belt on and sighed heavily. She glanced at him.

“Do you want me to put on the radio?”

“No.”

“I have CDs, somewhere.”

“No.” Stiles snapped at her irritably. “Leave it.”

“Ok.” She drove on in silence, feeling his bad mood filling up the car. “Are you meeting Theo before class? Should I drop-”

“No.”

“Doesn't he normally drive you?”

“Yeah.”

“Did you guys have a fight?”

“No.”

“Are you sure?”

“Not with him.” Stiles replied tersely, glaring out the window.

“Scott?” She guessed, seeing his brow furrow deeper. “Ah.”

“I don't want to talk about it.”

“Can they fix it?”

Stiles ignored her question, his jaw becoming prominent as he clenched his teeth in an effort to control the fury bubbling beneath the surface. He hadn’t slept much, staying awake to think about all the times he had helped Scott, only for his best friend to turn on him after one simple action.

“Stiles? Can they fix the Jeep?”

“There's not enough duct tape in the world to fix that thing,” Stiles muttered his response. 

“Maybe you should try something other than duct tape?”

“The alternator is bust, it needs all new belts, the radiator is cracked, the transmission is on its last legs, and the brake pads are literally metal on metal.” He gestured to explain when Malia glanced at him.

“How come you let it get so bad?”

“There's been a few distractions if you haven't noticed.”

“I've noticed." She replied sharply. "More than you think I do."

Stiles blinked, _You dick._ "Sorry, I didn't mean it like-"

"Am I taking you to school?" She interrupted.

"No, Sheriff's station, I need to talk to my Dad." Stiles pulled out his phone as it vibrated against his leg. “It’s Theo, Hayden is still pretty bad. Melissa is trying something radical, he said.” Stiles scrolled down, reading the rest of the message to himself. _At the school, something massive came through the parking lot, the sign is in the hallway…fuck, that must have been the chimera from last night._ Stiles quickly replied to say he was going to the police station. His phone buzzed a moment later.

_Cool, need to head home, shower, shave, change clothes, etc. Heading to meet Doctors, they have something they want me to do._

Stiles frowned at that, but didn’t say anything out loud. _He’s playing both sides, right? Still feels weird._

“Everything alright?” Malia asked, as Stiles stared at his phone.

“Yeah, fine.” 

 

The lab was silent save for the constant bubbling and hissing that came from the tank, Theo looked around, before calling out, “Hello? Are you here?” The hiss and crackle of static echoed around him, and the chimera stood back as the Doctors shuddered into existence beside him. “Ah, hey.”

“You have been busy.” The Surgeon gestured for Theo to follow them into the back room. “We have a task for you.”

“Name it.” He looked at the teenager bound and gagged on the floor in front of them, but the Surgeon seemingly ignored him. 

“The Banshee, retrieve her for us.”

“She’s read the book already, she can see you, remember what you do to her.” Theo frowned, confused. “Why do you-”

“Ah!” The Doctor flicked his cane out, catching Theo a smack across the cheek. “Yours is not to question.”

Theo grunted, holding his face. The injury healed quickly, but he looked at the Surgeon with barely concealed hatred. “I’ll find her.”

“Good. The Pathologist will take her once she is incapacitated.” The Surgeon pointed at the prisoner. “This chimera has been awakened, an exotic, as the Overmind will require.”

“Right,” Theo muttered, “Thanks.”

“Tonight is the hour of our success.” The Doctor intoned, walking away. “Find the Banshee.”

Theo waited for him to leave, and then crouched down beside the other chimera, reaching out to turn the boy’s head to and fro, inspecting him. “Hmm, and what can you do?” The chimera held up its bound hands and Theo nodded, cutting the rope with his claws. He darted backwards as a spike of bone erupted from the boy’s hands and shot outwards. “Interesting…I think I’ll have a use for you after all, although I’m not sure if it’ll be for Stiles.” Theo stood up and dragged the chimera with him. He quickly re-bound his hands and secured the gag, ensuring the boy could breathe. “You’ll wait here for now.” He directed the chimera towards the antechamber and shoved him into a corner. “Good.” 

Theo walked outside, pulling his keys from his pocket. _Where would Lydia be? Cops said the school was closed for the day, but the library is open for whoever wants to study…Might as well start there._ Theo climbed into his truck and drove off, his cheek healed, but the memory of the strike fresh. He was fed up of being their slave. “I’m their first success and all they have me do is run errands?” Theo muttered angrily. “Not anymore, I’ve my own plan now, and with the Alpha Chimera, with Stiles at my side, you won’t be able to stop me; we’ll be the ones holding all the weapons!”

 

Stiles watched the Deputies coming in for the morning shift as they passed by the car, smiling and laughing as though it was just another day on the job. They had been sitting in silence for several minutes, and he was showing no signs of getting out of the car. Malia looked at him, “Do you want me to go in with you?”

Stiles blinked out of his thoughts and glanced at her, shaking his head, "Nah, it's okay, it's probably gonna take a while." He fidgeted nervously for another minute, and then pressed his lips together, hand on the door handle. _If Scott tells my Dad…is it any better that he hears it from me first? Fuck. Ok, let’s go, Stiles, you have to do this!_ He took a deep breath and opened the door. 

Stiles placed one foot on the pavement when Malia said bluntly, "Are you going to tell him about Donovan?"

Stiles froze, climbed back inside and then closed the door slowly. "What do you know about Donovan?"

"He's dead, isn't he? That wound on your shoulder, it happened around the time he disappeared." Malia explained, listing the events out on her fingers. "There was too much blood for it to be the Jeep. Then you start hanging out with Theo all the time, avoiding Scott and me and the others, when a few days before you thought he was a liar? It didn't add up, Stiles."

"I see." He muttered quietly, his hand reaching back reflectively to touch his shoulder blade. The wound ached dully "And what are you going to do now?"

"Nothing, it doesn't matter to me. Blue eyes, remember?" She turned to face him. “I don’t care.”

"Uh huh." Stiles matched her gaze, but he saw her lack of understanding and sighed. "It matters to me." Malia didn’t respond and he got out. She exited the lot quickly and Stiles watched her leave, before pulling out his phone, dialling Theo’s number.

“Yeah?”

“Malia knows.”

"How? What do we do?" There was an edge to Theo’s voice that Stiles couldn’t identify. “I’m driving, do you want me to pick you up?”

“No, I need to see my Dad.”

“Stiles, wait-”

“No, Theo, we need to, _I_ need to control this before it gets out of hand.” He felt a flare of anger and frowned. “Why did you even tell Scott?”

“I thought he’d changed, and I took the blame for you, said you knew about it, but I was the one who killed him.”

Stiles grumbled and sighed, “Ok, look, we’ll talk about that later. As for Malia, she won't tell anyone, but...”

“I'll take care of it, Stiles.” Theo was trying to reassure him, but the Alpha Chimera wasn’t convinced.

“I’m outside the Sheriff’s station, so I’m not going to ask how. Just convince her, Theo, I don't need any more blood on my hands.” He muttered the final words as he ducked around a patrol car.

"Don't worry, Stiles. I'll know how to make her see sense, there’s a way that she’ll recognise me, plus there’s something I've been working on." 

“Fine, be cryptic, I don’t care. Just deal with it.” Stiles barked at him, and hung up, walking into the station. The Deputy from yesterday was manning the front desk.

"You again. Can I help you?"

"Yeah, I'm looking for Sheriff Stilinski." Stiles weighed him, up; the blonde was young, perhaps just recently graduated, but unlike a certain other Deputy, there was no sense of the supernatural about him. “I need to see the Sheriff.”

"And you are...?"

"His son." Stiles stared at him, seeing the Deputy flush.

"Oh, right, sorry, Stiles, isn't it?"

"Yeah. Is my Dad here?"

"No, he left about half an hour ago." The Deputy shrugged, "I don't know when he'll be back, something about needing reinforcements?"

"I'll just wait in his office." Stiles muttered, gesturing at the empty room. He closed the door after him, the blinds were already shut, but the room was stifling. Stiles dropped his pullover onto a chair, and wiped the sweat from his brow. “Damn, did they bust the heating system in here?” He walked over to the desk, looking idly through the stack of files and papers. He frowned when he saw Melissa’s familiar handwriting. “What…Oh crap.” Stiles suddenly felt a shiver run down his spine. He searched through the papers on the desk and frowned when he found his ID card under a notebook. “Ok, so he knows I lied about that…” Stiles chewed his bottom lip, flipping the key card over in his fingers, before sitting down behind the desk. He felt strangely calm all of a sudden, there was no more escaping from what he had done, no more lying; he would tell his father the truth, and, well, he didn’t know what would happen after that. Stiles flicked the card over, staring at the black coating along the back; dried blood. _The images never leave; the memories, the smell of all that blood, the way it felt, I'm beginning to understand why he likes it so much._ Stiles smiled to himself, staring at the card. 

 

Theo moved around the library shelves silently until he found Lydia. They were alone; the other students preferring a free day to one stuck studying. He remained behind her, there was more to this than simply following the Doctors’ orders, it was time to neutralise the threats to Stiles, to the Alpha Chimera. _You will serve a purpose before the end, Lydia, I can feel it. But for right now, they want you._ Theo walked over to her, noticing how she was buried in a book, so he lingered beside the table until she noticed him.

"Hi, Theo." She glanced at him briefly.

"Hi." He smiled widely, white teeth on tanned skin. "Reading about the Wild Hunt, huh? Pretty cool bedtime story."

“I guess.” She blinked confusedly, “What are you doing here?”

"Oh, I need your help with something, well Scott will need your help." He smiled at her expression. "I know what's coming, what's going to happen tonight. You'll have an important part to play, you know?"

"I...I don't know what you're talking about."

"Right, right, sorry, I'm getting ahead of myself again. Will you come with me? Scott asked me to gather the pack." He knew his face looked innocent, youthful, the expression that always worked, and Lydia nodded, gathering her books.

"Yes, of course, are you alright?" She looked at him as they moved down the stairs. "You seem a little different. Is it the supermoon?"

"Not exactly." Theo smirked and struck rapidly, hitting Lydia across the face with his fist, knocking her out in one attack. She tumbled to the ground, books spilling from her bag. Theo stood over her, as his ears filled with the familiar static and clicking. The Pathologist moved around him silently, picking up the unconscious Banshee and disappearing from sight. Theo shook his hand loose. “Now, let’s deal with Malia.” He grinned to himself, but stopped when he saw Stiles had texted him. _Come to the station. NOW!_

 _Now? Or do you want me to find Malia first?_ He replied.

_Now._

“Ok, Stiles.” Theo muttered to himself and kicked Lydia’s spilled books out of sight, pausing to relieve her bag of her phone.

 

Stiles looked up as Theo entered the office. He could see the new Deputy’s cynical face as the door closed, but ignored him. “Good, you’re here. There’s a lot of cops out there, so-” The rest of his words were cut off as Theo moved across the floor and kissed him hard. Stiles blinked, but didn’t pull back, instead he pulled Theo closer, wrapping his arms around the other chimera. There was an intensity behind the kiss that Stiles wasn’t expecting; more than just desire, an almost burning need from Theo to be back with him. Perhaps it had to do with the fact the Sheriff’s station was boiling, and the sweat ran in rivulets down Stiles’ face and chest. 

Theo pushed him back after a minute, breathing heavily. “Sorry, I had to.”

“Don’t apologise.” Stiles grinned at him, adjusting his erection. “I could do with more of that.”

“Believe me, I want to.” Theo replied, “But it sounded important to get here.”

“Yeah, yeah, you’re right.” Stiles nodded slowly, “What’s the deal with Hayden, is she any better?”

“Getting worse, and she’s not just dying like the others; it’s mercury poisoning; slow, not really painful for her.”

“But painful for Liam?” Stiles asked as Theo nodded. “Why? Is this an experiment? I mean, why are they killing off the chimeras in the first place?”

“They don’t like failures, but there hasn’t been a chimera success since me. You’re different, of course.”

“Yeah, I know.” Stiles wondered if he should tell Theo about the chimera he saw the night before, but he continued speaking and Stiles let him.

“Their plan is still a mystery, but it doesn’t matter; I have my own plan.” He smiled at Stiles, a genuine grin reaching his eyes. “It’s not exactly how I pictured it a few weeks ago, but one thing has happened the way I wanted it.”

“What’s that?”

“You.” Theo reached for his hand, holding it in his own. “You and me; together. But this will make everything better, make it right. Those chimeras; Corey, Josh, even Tracy, they shouldn’t be dead, they should be with us, right here, right now, making you stronger, taking down the Doctors once and for all.”

“Sure, I agree with that.” Stiles nodded and then shrugged, “But they’re dead, Theo. Parrish brought them out to the Nemeton, and if his dreams are accurate, he burns them up.”

“I don’t think so.”

“What?” 

“Think about it, Stiles,” Theo pulled away from him, pivoting on the spot, “If he was just destroying evidence of them or whatever, then why bring them to the Nemeton? We need to find it, see for ourselves.”

“That’s what I’ve been trying to do, wait, wait, Lydia was here about twenty minutes ago.” Stiles stood up from where he was leaning against the desk. “Said something about Parrish locking himself in the cells, for everyone’s protection. He must have found the Nemeton.”

“I’m guessing Parrish won’t tell us where it is?”

“Even if he did, would it matter?” Stiles caught his eye. “They’re _dead_ , Theo.”

“I can bring them back, just as they were, no supernatural bullshit either.” He grinned triumphantly. “Science, Stiles! The Doctors have lived for a long time, but their flesh withers and dies; they found a way to revitalise it. Trust me, I can do this.”

“So, we need to follow Parrish when there is a new dead chimera.” Stiles bit his lip, “Hayden.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry.” Theo studied him, but Stiles nodded slowly.

“If you say you can bring them back, I’ll believe you. I trust you Theo.” Stiles sighed. “How long does she have?”

“Not long, she was already fading when I left. I got a text from Scott before I came in, that Melissa is bringing her and Liam to the hospital, see what they can do from there. But,” Theo hesitated until Stiles gestured for him to continue. “Liam will lose it when she dies. He was trying to get Scott to bite her, turn her into a real werewolf.”

“And?”

“He won’t, doesn’t think she’ll survive either way.”

“Good.” Stiles muttered to himself, even though he knew Theo could hear him. “She’s one of us. He can barely control the one Beta he has.”

“Did you mean what you said? About letting them at each other?” Theo asked carefully. Stiles looked at him and inclined his head slightly. 

“A bit, a small part of me wants to see that smugness wiped off his face.” Stiles glared at the door. “You should have seen him, Theo, the way he was acting as though he’s never defended himself, as though he’s never let the monster inside out. Insufferable!”

Theo watched as Stiles clenched his hands into fists. “They might try and stop us, Stiles. I’m not sure Scott would approve of us bringing them back to life, not even Corey. He’s never really had much respect for us chimeras; invading Corey just to dig out some memories, the way he used Hayden as bait, and now not even putting her out of her misery?” Theo shook his head as he saw Stiles nodding his agreement. “We need to…”

“Distract them.” Stiles finished darkly. “We can play Liam against Scott. He’s an Alpha, so even if they start fighting, he’ll be able to push Liam back. He’s not going to hurt his own Beta, is he?”

“Excellent idea, Stiles.” Theo grinned widely at him. “I think I know how to set it up; they’ll be distracted, maybe the almighty Scott will learn a bit of humility, and we’ll be able to do what we have to.”

“That’s the only thing I’ve been trying to do, Theo, he doesn’t get it.” Stiles sat down again, as Theo leaned against the desk. He gestured at a cell phone jammer on the ground beside them. “Take that with you, some confusion will help with the distraction; no calls or texts in or out.”

Theo nodded and picked it up. “Good thinking.”

“Yeah.” Stiles rubbed at hand through his hair. “Now, Malia. Do you know what you’re going to do?”

“Yeah, don’t worry about her. Like you said, she won’t turn you in.” Theo reassured him, offering a half-smile. “She’s not an enemy, Stiles.”

“Yeah, I don’t want her to be.” The Alpha Chimera flicked aside a folder revealing his library ID and looked expectantly at Theo. “This is why I’m here, you know, time to come clean, or at least, control the truth before Scott says something.”

Theo picked up the key card, glancing at Stiles. "Has your Dad said anything about this to you?"

"No, but he knows I lied about losing it."

"Shit." Theo swore, biting his lip. "It doesn't matter, Stiles, I covered for you."

"What?" Stiles sat up, staring at him.

"This; the key card, Donovan, I took care of it." Theo looked at him happily, “Yesterday, when I was talking to your Dad. I took the fall.”

"What did you say, Theo?"

"Where did he get it?" Theo answered the question with another, seeing Stiles gesture vaguely.

"Melissa found it at the hospital. I got sloppy, I thought-"

"I guess even the son of a cop can make mistakes, huh?"

"Theo, you haven't answered my question." Stiles muttered quietly.

"I took the blame, all of it, said I killed Donovan, just me, you were there, and he was after you, but I intervened...It's done, Stiles, you're in the clear, and your Dad, he said it was self-defense." Theo held up the card again, "This doesn't change anything, I'll take the blame for hiding it if you-"

"I never asked you to."

"I know."

"Fuck, Theo, Scott pretty much tells me I should be in jail, and you try and take the blame all on yourself!"

“I can’t let you do that, Stiles, I need you.” Theo spoke the words quickly, even as he heard the skip in Stiles’ heartbeat. “It doesn’t matter what Scott says if you back me up, and the Sheriff would prefer to think his son’s boyfriend killed someone to protect his son. The truth doesn’t matter.”

“Theo! That’s insane…” Stiles muttered, staring at him.

"I.." He blinked, his unconscious floating the words in his mind, a sensation of warmth spreading across his chest. _Is this what love is? This feeling?_ “Um, I should go, we have a lot to do.”

“Right.” Stiles noticed the way his boyfriend had paused, but he let it slide. Instead he stood up and hugged Theo tightly, as though he never wanted to let go. Their lips found each other, and Theo kissed him with the same passion as before, leaving him with equally straining trousers too.

 

After he doubled back to the Doctors’ lab and retrieved his distraction chimera, Theo swung by the hospital and set the trap for Malia. All he had left to do was convince her to join them. _Should be easy enough, she already trusts Stiles…_ He had a hunch of where Malia would go and drove his truck up into the forest, parking near an abandoned ranger cabin. There was no one else around and he slowly stripped naked, tucking the keys under the wheel arch for safe keeping. The air was cool on his skin and Theo ran a hand across his smooth chest, taking a deep breath before he transformed and dropped to all fours. The sensation was not unlike the last time he had done it; the same heightened senses, the same change in his thoughts, the same mingling of human and beast. Although, as a chimera he kept more of his human presence; the Doctors had believed that only naturally born supernatural creatures had the power to transform into their animal selves and in doing so become more like the beast than the person. _Ends justify the means,_ Theo thought to himself as he picked up Malia’s trail in the leaves near the track. _At least this time I have hand sanitizer, don’t want Stiles to be freaked out!_ The wolf broke into a steady loping gait and moved with ease through the woodland. 

There was a cave just ahead of him, Malia’s scent was strongest there. Theo entered the cave slowly, his eyes sweeping the interior until he spotted Malia standing at the far end. He must have tipped her off because she turned and stared at him. The wolf moved closer to her, padding carefully on the bare earth of the cave floor. Her eyes glowed blue and she dropped into a defensive stance. Theo stopped moving, his wolf-eyes normal, curious of her reaction. The were-coyote started to growl, and Theo backed up slightly. He saw the confusion in her expression and let his own eyes glow yellow.

“Who are you?” She demanded.

Theo tilted his head, ears perked.

“I said, who are you?!”

The wolf back tracked further until he was in the portion of the cave smothered in shadows. There was a slight ache as he transformed back into his human shape, but as Theo stood and dusted off his hands, he could feel her eyes boring into his back. He looked over his shoulder at her and smiled. 

“How did you do that?” She whispered at him, her scent telling of her surprise.

Theo kept smiling and turned around, using one of his hands to cover his cock and balls. He was limp, of course, but he still saw her eyes flick down towards his crotch. Theo felt his smile slide into a smirk and he nodded at her. “My eyes are up here!”

Malia flushed and pulled her gaze upwards. “Answer me, how did you do that?” 

"You wanna learn?" He asked her in a slow drawl, turning to the side. "I could show you."

"You're showing me plenty right now."

“I only like guys, you’re safe!” Theo smirked, "I've got nothing to hide; I'm part coyote; just a little bit, enough to make the difference."

"What do you mean? Scott said you were bitten not born."

"Not exactly." Theo's grin got bigger as her eyes widened. 

"You're a chimera."

"Yeah." He nodded simply, watching her fumble with her phone. "Stiles already knows."

"I'm not calling Stiles."

"Did you tell Scott you're planning to kill your mother?" Theo asked bluntly. "Don't worry, I'm not judging, I want to help you." 

“How do you know about her?”

“I’ve been in Stiles’ room, seen his board. He still hasn’t wiped my name off it, which is kinda insulting, but that’s not the point.” Theo shrugged. “I know because I looked, and because I’ve learned a lot about you. About how you take the direct approach, no messing around. If something needs to be killed, you’ll kill it. I admire that. And Stiles does too, you know?”

“No.”

“Yes.” Theo countered, “He hasn’t been able to say it because of Scott. But he knows the importance of doing what is necessary. Don’t you?”

“Go on.” Malia replied reluctantly.

“Yeah, I thought so.” He gestured with his free hand as he spoke. “Scott won’t sanction you to kill the Desert Wolf, that’s him being the Alpha. And Scott, well he’s already turned on Stiles after he killed Donovan in self-defense. We both know that was necessary, right?”

“It doesn’t matter to me.”

“Exactly, and this is necessary too. Necessary for you. Scott won’t approve, but you can still do it.” 

“You’re crazy,” She dismissed him with a shake of her head. “Scott is a lot of things, but I’ve been better in his pack than anything else in my life: I'm not going Omega!”

"Who said anything about Omega?" The grinned at her, “There’s a new Alpha in town!”

“Who? You?” She laughed at him. But Theo shook his head.

“Stiles. Killing Donovan unleashed the power inside. He’s a chimera.”

“What?”

“And not just any chimera: the Alpha Chimera!” Theo proclaimed proudly, grinning at the surprise on her face. “You might not be one of us, but he's got the leadership skills Scott never had, and are you going to tell me you haven't been questioning his decisions lately?"

"I don't..."

“I can help you kill the Desert Wolf, she deserves to die, after everyone that she's killed.” Theo pressed his case, catching her eye. “Of course, if I help you, I'm going to need assurances; you don't tell the Sheriff about Donovan.”

“I wasn't going to.”

“You don't tell Scott about Stiles, not until we say so.”

“Fine.” Malia replied with gritted teeth.

"Ok, then, we have an agreement?"

"I don't like this."

"We can call Stiles, if you want, get his blessing?” Theo shrugged, “But I'm serious, Stiles is the future, not Scott.”

“I heard you, Theo.”

“Good, because we have a problem only you can solve.” Theo moved back towards the shadows. “Hayden is dying, it’s only a matter of hours before the Doctors come to claim her, we need someone at the hospital to buy some more time. Please, with the supermoon, Scott and Liam will have a hard-enough time controlling themselves.”

“And where will you be?” She asked suspiciously.

“With Stiles.” He didn’t elaborate, but fixed Malia with a stare. “Please, Malia, do this, demonstrate to Stiles that he can really trust you.”

“He already does!” She protested.

“Well…” Theo hesitated, a grin twisting his lips. “He wanted you silenced, and he wasn’t too specific about how.”

“He wouldn’t…I don’t believe you!” 

“Then don’t.” Theo shrugged. “I’m sure you’ve noticed how little he actually cared about killing Donovan, it was more about who found out.”

“I see.” Malia stared at the ground.

 _Delicious, so manipulative! And another one for our side, for now anyway. If she really does kill her mother, it will be easier to justify her death._ Theo’s expression was smooth as the thoughts echoed in his mind. Aloud he asked, “So, you’ll go to the hospital?”

“Yes, I’ll go.”

“Good.” He walked back to the cave entrance, pausing to look back at her and then he transformed into a wolf again.

 

“Theo? Yeah, I’m fine. Hot as hell in here though. No, no sign of my Dad, I think he went to San Francisco for the reinforcements…” Stiles listened to Theo’s reply, grinning as he tugged at the collar of his sweat-soaked t-shirt. “Yeah, so, did Malia understand?”

“She’s on our side, Stiles, I’ll give you the full details later. Liam called me a minute ago; Hayden’s getting worse and Scott is out looking for her sister.”

“Deputy Clark? Yeah, she’s here in the station.”

“Hmm, Scott said he was going to try the school; there’s still a lot of cops there.”

“Good,” Stiles replied, looking up at the ceiling as the sun began to set. “Everything is moving as we expected. But if Scott and Liam aren’t near each other when the supermoon emerges, they could become a problem.”

“I understand. I think I know of a way to make them run into each other.” Theo sounded nervous. “It’s risky, but it’ll keep them occupied, and our plans uninterrupted.”

“It’s for the best, Theo.” Stiles replied, his voice hard. “Scott would never understand that; glory demands sacrifice.”

Theo felt a shiver go up his spine when Stiles said those words. He adjusted the phone as he parked in the school lot. “Besides, she’ll be alive in a few hours with no more mercury. I think Liam will be satisfied with that.”

“Yeah, perhaps.”

“More than satisfied, even!” Theo hinted and he heard Stiles laugh. “Ok, this goes according to plan, we’ll have everyone back who should be back, Malia is on our side, and Scott will learn a little humility.” _Among other things!_ Theo added mentally as they finished the call. He got out of the truck, picking up the box of mountain ash powder from the passenger seat.

 

Stiles smiled to himself as he hung up, taking a sip of water. The heat was stifling and showing no sign of cooling off as evening rolled in. He frowned, but the shrill sound of sirens cut across his thoughts. The Alpha Chimera opened the door and caught the Deputy’s eye.

“What’s going on?”

“No idea, it’s like the fire detection system has gone nuts!” He looked up as the other officers came running from the back. “Maybe a fire in cells?”

“Oh shit!” Stiles swore, watching as Parrish walked out as though in a trance. He was smouldering, his clothes already black and charred as smoke rose from his body. “Get back! Move aside! Don’t stop him!” Stiles pushed the Deputy’s arms down, gesturing for the rest of the officers to lower their weapons. They ignored him and trained their side-arms on Parrish.

"Wait, wait, wait!" He waved his hands at them frantically, "Don't shoot, don't shoot! Stay out of his way!" Stiles pulled the younger Deputy to one side and waved the other Deputy by the door to the side. “Yeah, you have to let him pass.” Stiles waited until Parrish had moved past them, and made to follow him. “Look, get my Dad back here now, reinforcements are not the problem!”

“Where are you going?” The Deputy made to grab Stiles, but the Alpha Chimera twisted out of his grip.

“I’m following him, he’s clearly on some sort of drugs, right?” Stiles glanced between them, “I’ll look out for him, I’m a friend.” They let him go and Stiles darted forward to catch up to Parrish. The Deputy seemed unaware of his presence.

 

Scott’s bike was parked by the entrance as Theo climbed the steps. The cops seemed to have left and the school was empty; the only sounds coming from the boys’ locker room. He pulled out Lydia’s phone as he walked slowly towards the noise. He stopped just outside the door, glancing inside to see Scott washing his hands and face in the basin by the showers. Theo pulled back, walking silently towards the library, quickly typing into the stolen phone, _Library._

 _Five minutes._ Scott’s reply made him nod. “I should have enough time.” Theo worked quickly; placing Lydia’s phone on a shelf and reached into the box of mountain ash powder, using an even handful to encircle the area around the center. His trap was almost complete when Scott entered the building.

“Lydia?” The werewolf called out repeatedly. 

Theo continued to circle around him, ignoring the buzzing of Lydia’s phone, instead reaching for his final handful of mountain ash. He straightened up, hearing Scott’s footsteps behind him. Theo discarded the box and let the powder slip through his fingers.

"That's not possible."

"You're right, Scott, it's not." Theo felt the smirk curl his lips, as he turned to face the Alpha. "A werewolf shouldn't be able to even touch mountain ash."

"You're a chimera."

"I'm the first chimera. A true success, _the_ success." He grinned at Scott, arms wide. "It's the coyote part you don't notice, the little bit extra that balanced out the variance in the genes, that made it all work." 

“But, I…you…how did you…” Scott struggled to form a coherent sentence, reaching for his inhaler.

“You know Scott, you throw around the word ‘chimera’ without really knowing what it is.” Theo glared at him. "A chimera isn't just a monster with different parts, it can also mean something impossible to achieve, an unrealisable dream."

"And they realised you?" Scott stared at him.

"They came close with me." He was talking small steps backwards, closer to the line. "But we can't all be perfect. And that is why they tried again, reaching further, dreaming a little bigger, climbing on a mountain of failures to perfect the one ultimate Alpha Chimera." He grinned at Scott's expression, taking another step back. "And he's almost ready, his full potential just hours from being unleashed. Too bad you're stuck here huh?"

Scott let out a roar and charged the barrier. Theo stepped behind the line and laughed mockingly as Scott bounced back, pushed across the floor into a table and chairs. "Oof, I felt that." Theo went to leave, and then turned around, "I'm going to go now, Scott, my boyfriend needs me." He grinned at the werewolf as Scott growled angrily. “Yeah, my boyfriend; Stiles. He’s mine Scott, all mine. Of course, I’m his too, in a way I never really expected. And I should really thank you for that; you pushed him right into my arms.” Theo gloated at Scott as the werewolf glared at him. “Donovan though, you know, I really was doing that for him, but you just had to pick at it, didn’t you? Had to make him feel bad about it, as though it wasn’t necessary, as though it wasn’t to protect himself, really Scott, you shouldn’t do that.” The chimera laughed and spun around happily. “I’ve never felt this good! Maybe because you really do deserve it, you let your best friend go, you let Stiles believe that you couldn’t forgive him, that you’re too high and mighty to understand the problems that normal humans face.”

“Shut up!” Scott growled at him, but Theo kept talking.

“I was just going to have you and Liam at each other’s throats over Hayden and the bite, but it was Stiles who wanted you to suffer.” Theo grinned as Scott’s face slackened. “It was Stiles who wants to teach you a lesson, to make you feel the betrayal he’s feeling right now. And Liam’s already wound up so tight, all we need to do is point him at you! Such a pretty little ball of fury.” Theo smirked as he walked up to the invisible barrier, lowering his voice. “I know you’re pretty oblivious, Scott, but I would’ve thought that even you would notice that your best friend had a hardon for the Beta.”

“No.” Scott shook his head, “You’re wrong, Liam would never-”

“Sure, Liam wouldn’t, at least, not unless it had already happened. That night when he was tearing up the town naked; Stiles found him, and he is such a _delicious_ piece of ass, you can’t really blame Stiles for taking advantage.” Theo finished with an evil grin as Scott punched the barrier. “Ahh, Scott, playing with you is such fun! But, I really do have to go now.” He moved back over to the nearby bench, and flicked on the cell phone jammer. "No calls, Scott, no Stiles, no pack, you're just going to have to wait here alone for what happens next."

"What happens next?"

"The supermoon." Theo smirked again, leaving as Scott pounded fruitlessly on the barrier. 

 

Theo lingered by the entrance, forcing his expression to become neutral. He had texted Liam to meet him at the school, Scott was there, he wanted to “talk.” The Beta arrived panting and already half-crazed, his yellow eyes bright in the darkness.

“Liam! Over here!” Theo beckoned him over. 

“What? Where’s Scott? Hayden’s not got much time left.” Liam demanded as he paced on the spot.

“Right, well about that. Scott wanted me to tell you that he won’t give her the Bite.” Theo pulled back as Liam growled at him, the Beta’s fangs already sliding down into his mouth. “In fact, he thinks it’s better if we just let her die.”

“What?”

“Yeah, I mean, he thinks she’d be a weak Beta anyway, that there is no value in turning her. His words, Liam.”

“Where is he?” Theo smirked as Liam looked around, his transformation complete, the words snarled. “Where’s the Alpha?”

“In the library, I think I saw him go up to the roof.” Theo pretended to be concerned, a frown creasing his brow, “But, Liam, he’s the Alpha, he’s-”

“Not for long! Argh!”

The Beta moved quickly and Theo ran forward towards the library as Liam clambered up the school buildings towards the library roof. The chimera arrived in time to break the circle of mountain ash and let the other werewolf inside. Theo waited until he could hear raised voices above him, and he reached into his pocket, pulling out a spare handful, dropping it back on the circle, sealing the two werewolves inside. “Perfect. Now, destroy each other.” He muttered to himself, moving into the library to watch them fight on the glass roof above him. Theo could hear Scott and Liam talking faintly.

"Did Theo let you in?"

_Yes Scott, I did! Have fun with your toy, now Liam, he's nice and weak..._

"Did you lie to me?" Liam demanded.

"I've never lied to you!" Scott’s voice was pleading and Theo closed his eyes, enjoying the sound of his weakness.

"But you won't save her!"

“The Bite won’t save her, Liam! She’s too far gone, she’s-”

“Weak? Pathetic? Not worth saving? Isn’t that what you mean, Scott?” Liam screamed at him, pacing around the Alpha. “I won’t let her die, there’s only one alternative I’m interested in!”

“Liam, don’t do this.” Scott was trying to calm him, Theo could see them moving through one of the skylights. "It's the supermoon, it's making you more aggressive."

"It's making me stronger!" Liam growled menacingly.

Theo idly cleaned his nails, sitting on a table outside the barrier, muttering, "That's what happens, Scott, when you don't train your Beta to control the shift. Although I do know of someone who managed to calm him down!" He laughed quietly and looked up as the first punch was thrown. "Finally!" His phone buzzed and Theo reached for it even as Scott and Liam fought each other on the roof. “So, Parrish has left the station. Will he lead us to the Nemeton?” Theo typed a quick reply and looked up as the two werewolves broke through a skylight and crashed to the ground. “Fuck!”

He ducked into the stacks, moving around outside the line, until he could still see them fight. Theo watched Liam slash and punch at Scott, waiting for the moment when the Alpha finally let his animal instincts overwhelm him. _Oh, yes, magnificent! Those eyes, and that hair, how barbarous!_

"Don't do this, Liam!" Scott called out warningly, "I can't let you kill me." Liam ignored him, and Scott kicked him backwards, raising his arms as the full light of the supermoon bathed the Alpha.

Theo watched as the fight continued, for a time it looked as though Scott was gaining the upper hand, but then the Alpha leapt from the floor to the balcony. _Ah, avoidance, scared you’re going to lose, Scott?_

"He's using you, Liam," Scott warned Liam. "He wants you to be the Alpha, because he can't take the power from me! Only you can!" 

"You don't get it, Scott, I want to kill you. I want to!"

Theo nodded as the Alpha was thrown from the balcony and broken on a table. _I wonder how it feels, having your own werewolf try and kill you, is it this that will break you, Scott? I shouldn’t let him kill you, though, you should linger on, suffering, remembering the pain of this defeat, of losing everything!_ The chimera watched as Liam climbed on top of Scott, his claws a blur, cast-off splattering against the walls and floor. 

Theo turned as he heard Mason enter, knowing that the teenager must have broken the line of mountain ash. _Yes, I suppose that’s enough, Scott is bloody and bruised. But has he learned his lesson, I wonder?_

"Liam! What are you doing?" Mason cried out as Theo moved around the shelves, hidden from view, looking at Scott, sprawled across the stairs, bloodied and groaning. 

"Hayden." Liam whimpered.

"She's gone." Mason replied. "Hayden died a few minutes ago."

Theo grinned as he heard the words, _And where were you, Liam? When your girlfriend was dying, alone, hopeless? I couldn't have planned it better myself. Oh, wait, I did plan it. Delicious!_ Theo stepped back into the shadows as Liam sprinted out of the library, leaving him alone with Mason and Scott.

 

Stiles crouched down behind a car as Parrish pushed open the gates to the impound lot. His clothes had mostly burned away at this point, clad only in the ragged remnants of his trousers that looked more like shorts now. _So hot, like smokin’ hot, I mean, I know he’s all fiery, but I would so risk getting burned to feel those muscles, drooling…Focus Stiles!_

Stiles frowned as the Deputy seemed to move towards an ordinary looking van, open the back and then he climbed into the driver’s seat and pulled out of the lot at high speed. “You have got to be kidding me! What? He can drive in that state?” Stiles kicked the dust around him and pulled out his phone. “Need you now, Theo, Parrish is gone, I’ve lost him. Call me when you get this.” Stiles hung up, the call going straight to voice-mail.

 

Mason moved forward to help Scott stand, and Theo’s expression flickered to irritation.

"Scott, what happened?"

"It's the supermoon," Scott managed, leaning on him for support. "It's just-"

"Bad timing." Theo finished, moving forward aggressively, “For you, Mason.” He snarled as he grabbed the teen and slammed him against a desk, knocking him out cold. Theo faced off against Scott. “Here we are again, Scott. Except you look a little worn out.”

"You going to kill me yourself?" Scott spat at him through a busted lip. “Steal my power? Become Alpha?”

"Haha, Scott, really?" Theo laughed at him, shaking his head. "There was only one person I ever wanted in your pack and I already have him. Stiles is mine! It's only a pity his best friend never realised his value."

"Value?" Scott grabbed his chest with one hand, "Stiles isn't like you, he'll never be like you; murderer, monster!" 

“Monster? Is that all you have?” Theo smirked as he flicked his claws out, grabbing Scott by one arm, holding him up, bringing his face close to the werewolf’s. “Try again.”

“You can’t…” Scott struggled to talk, “The others will see…”

"What? That I'm just a chimera? I'm not a real werewolf?"

"You're not even human." Scott whispered, eyes heavy from loss of blood and weary from the fight.

“Stiles needs me! Stiles loves me!” Theo snarled in his face, as Scott shook his head numbly.

“You think he’ll still be in love with you after he learns what you’ve done, who you’ve killed?”

“Then I guess you won’t be suffering.” Theo smiled grimly at him. “He wanted you alive, hell even I wanted you alive to know the extent of your failure, so that you’d suffer every day, but if you’re not going to play along, Scott, then you leave me little choice.” Theo plunged his claws into Scott's stomach, ripping through the muscle and bathing his claws in the Alpha's blood. Scott gasped, and Theo pushed in deeper, flexing his fingers to do more damage, blood ran in a stream down his arm, puddling on the floor. “Do you feel that, Scott? That’s your life in my hands, your last few moments, you’re going to know that a chimera beat you, that you’re leaving everyone at our mercy, at the Alpha Chimera’s mercy.”

Theo growled viciously and thrusted upwards, piercing Scott's sternum and into the soft tissue of his lungs. The Alpha gasped, blood on his lips. The chimera pulled out savagely, gore spilling onto the ground, and pushed Scott back onto the steps. 

"I never could take the power from you, Scott." Theo whispered as he looked down on the werewolf. "I wanted you to hurt, to know the bitterness of betrayal, you mightn't have plunged your claws into Stiles' heart, but you had it your own way, piece by piece, when you stopped being his friend, when he stopped being priority number one..." Theo stepped back, glaring at Mason as he struggled to rise, and turned on his heel, striding out of the library.

Theo pulled his phone out, typing with his unbloodied hand. _Got held up, on way now._ His hands were shaking, the adrenaline rush making his movements jittery. He washed his hands quickly, dismissing the opportunity to glory in the fresh blood, instead focusing on the next stage of their plan. 

 

Stiles looked up as the four beams of light cut through the darkness. “Theo! Finally!”

Theo jumped out, apologizing as he did so. "Sorry, got here as fast as I could."

"We gotta go, now! Parrish has got the bodies." Stiles moved towards the truck. 

“Yeah, ok,” Theo pivoted, calling out to him, "Ok, Stiles! Wait!"

“Yeah, yeah, tell me about Scott and Liam later.” Stiles talked quickly, repeating his words, “We have to find Parrish, right now, if Hayden is dead, we’re losing our opportunity here!”

"Stiles!" Theo shouted at him, cutting across the babbling. Stiles stopped and frowned at him.

“What? Is it Scott? Does he want to talk or something?”

"I don't think Scott wants to talk to you right now."

"What do you mean?" Stiles approached him, but Theo looked away.

"He's kinda busy." Theo replied vaguely.

"Busy? Where is he?"

"Stiles, it’s, he doesn't-"

"Where is he?" Stiles repeated, voice low, eyes purple, reflected in the shiny paint job of Theo's car. He moved even closer to the chimera. Theo took a step back. "Where is Scott? Answer me!"

"Fine." Theo mumbled, as though humbled, "Liam and Scott, they're consumed by the supermoon, unable to handle it, they're barely coherent really."

"I see." Stiles nodded slowly, “So it’s working?”

"They can't help their nature, Stiles. We _are_ better than them." Theo pointed out.

“So, what are they doing? Fighting each other?” Stiles chuckled. "Like animals? Wild dogs?"

"They're not sniffing each other's butts, if that's what you're asking me."

"Well, thank you for that image, Theo."

"Treasure it, Stiles." He licked his lips flirtatiously, and the Alpha Chimera rolled his eyes. The tension drained between them. But Stiles looked down the road. 

"Parrish is long gone by now, and we don't know the location of the Nemeton. It's over, Theo."

"No, Stiles, I have another way to find the Nemeton," Theo smiled at him. “Do you remember what Scott did to Corey? How he ripped the information from his mind?”

“I remember, I don’t see the relevance.”

"Lydia."

"No! No, no, no." Stiles shook his head furiously, "It's way too dangerous, and you're not an Alpha."

"I can do it, Stiles, trust me." Theo pleaded with him. "I mightn’t be a real Alpha werewolf, but all chimeras are built from the genetic sequences of Alphas. It's the only way, Stiles, Lydia has a strong connection to the Nemeton because she's a Banshee. I tap her memories, we get everyone back; we get Corey back. You know he didn't deserve to die."

“He's a good kid, not murderous like the others.” Stiles muttered, nodding to himself, “Donovan was a son of a bitch, though.”

"I'm not planning on bringing him back."

“You’re sure you can do it?”

“Yes, we’ll be careful, you trust me, don’t you?”

“With my life.” Stiles muttered and nodded. “God help me, but I'm in.” He moved closer to Theo, and pulled him into a hug. The chimera relaxed after his initial surprise, his arms tightening around Stiles. The Alpha Chimera placed his nose against Theo’s neck, breathing in his scent; it was first time he'd really got it. He smelt like a hot summer's day, the feel of silk against his skin, a hint of copper. Stiles pulled back, his eyes meeting Theo’s yellow orbs. "I need to be there, make sure you don't go too far."

Theo nodded wordlessly and gestured towards the truck.

 

“So, what are Scott and Liam actually doing?” Stiles asked as Theo took the back roads near the Preserve. 

"Oh, just roaring at each other; eyes out, fangs, the hair, play fighting, I think? Losing themselves completely."

"Naked? Or at least shirtless?"

"In your dreams, Stiles!" Theo laughed at him.

"Hehe, yeah." Stiles smirked, feeling his boyfriend’s gaze fix on him. “What?”

"Scott as well? Damn, is there any guy in this town you haven't had a crush on?" He laughed again as Stiles glared at him. "I guess I see it; Scott's kinda hot, I suppose; that Alpha werewolf thing too."

"Yeah, sure, but you've never had a sleepover with him..." Stiles trailed off, gesturing vaguely.

"There's a story there." Theo smirked, “We’re here.” He nodded at the broken chain link fence running alongside the rough track. "It’s up the trail, less than a klick from the school via the woods."

"A klick?"

"Blame COD."

 

Stiles blinked as Theo removed his hands. “I still don’t understand why you had to do that.”

“Just being careful,” Theo muttered. “There she is.”

“Fuck!” Stiles ran over to where Lydia was lying. "How did she get here?"

"The Doctors took her earlier, I had to follow their orders, Stiles."

"Where are they now?" The Alpha Chimera fanned Lydia, seeing her eyes flicker.

"Gone, I don't know where, but we need to hurry." Theo let his claws slide out, seeing Stiles watch him. “Don’t worry, I’ll be careful. Is she awake?”

"Barely." He glanced back at her. "Lydia?"

"Stiles?" She whispered, "Wha?"

"Hold still, this will hurt a little." He held her upright as Theo plunged his claws inside. "It's gonna be ok, we need this, your knowledge will save lives, Lydia." Stiles ignored her horrified expression and focused on Theo, even as he clenched his teeth. "This is the right thing, the only way..."

 _Sure, if that helps you sleep at night, Stiles._ Theo thought as the visions overwhelmed him. "Yes...yes! I see it, I see how to get there!"

"Then release her, Theo." Stiles ordered, his eyes turning purple until Theo released her, his claws pulling out more ruthlessly than he had intended. Lydia uttered a choked gasp and Stiles glared at him. "What did you do that for?"

"You told me to release her." Theo protested as he cleaned his claws on a rag.

"I didn't think it would-"

"Stiles, we have what we need."

"And, what? We just leave her here?"

“The Doctors need her, we can't interfere, not if we want them to think we're still theirs.” Theo offered him his hand. “Don't worry, Stiles, they won't hurt her, she has something to do with their big plan, with Parrish; they need her.”

"I don't-"

"Stiles! We need to go, before they come back!"

Stiles reluctantly took the offered hand and stood up. He watched Lydia as she seemed to slide back into whatever comatose state she had been in previously. Theo had moved over to the tank that dominated the center of the room, picking up a large silver syringe and filling it with the liquid. Curiosity got the better of Stiles and he walked over to him. "What's that?"

"I told you, I have a way to save them."

Even in the green light of the lab, Theo looked perfect. Stiles moistened his lips and swept his eyes down his boyfriend’s face. “I trust you, we’ve come this far.” 

“A little further.” Theo finished the extraction and smiled at him. “You’ll see.”

 

It took them less than twenty minutes to find the Nemeton, Theo leading the way confidently past the numerous trees marked with white x’s. Stiles glared at them as he walked by; _We were so close this entire time!_ The stump of the massive tree was just as he remembered it, except that it was surrounded by dead chimeras now. Stiles felt his breath catch in his throat as he looked around at them.

“You ok?” Theo asked, comforting hand on his arm.

“Yeah, there he is.” Stiles pointed at Corey. “First choice.”

“Done.” Theo nodded. “We should take Hayden too; leverage and proximity.”

“Right.” Stiles moved among the bodies and gestured at another one. “Him.”

“Josh? You know I killed him, right?”

“He had enormous teeth. And I want to know what his electricity thing was about.” Stiles explained as Theo sighed.

“Fine; Tracy.”

“What? Her? She’s crazy!”

“Maybe, but she was asleep for most of the time she was a chimera.” Theo shrugged. “Besides, a Kanima has some unique abilities, and we’ll need them. Exotics like Josh, Tracy, and Corey will augment your abilities better. Trust me, Stiles, those ghost claws you felt a few days ago, will be nothing compared to the power you’ll wield at full strength.”

“Ok, fine.” Stiles hesitated, looking around him, "This is insane, what the hell was I thinking? This will never even work."

"Watch this, Stiles!" Theo proclaimed as he walked over to Corey, and knelt down beside the dead chimera. He pulled the teenager’s t-shirt low enough to inject directly into him, braced himself on the chimera’s shoulder and pushed the syringe into Corey's body, injecting him with the first measure. Seconds later Corey arched upwards, gasping as air rushed through his lungs, his expression going from neutral to confused in seconds.

"What the..." Stiles stared at Theo. The chimera smirked and waited for Corey to blink confusedly, and look at him. He moved on to the others as Stiles watched Corey, his lips parted. _Shit, shit, shit! Are they zombies? They look alive again, and he’s still cute even with all that goop on him. But, are they warm? What the hell did we just do?_ Stiles blinked as he felt his senses sharpening around him.

Slowly they struggled to stand, and Theo moved back beside Stiles, throwing away the needle. As the chimeras looked around themselves in amazement, Theo strode forward again, pulling them into a line.

"What is happening?" Hayden whispered.

"Who are you?" Tracy asked him.

“My name is Theo, and you are all chimeras; judged to be failures, and now reborn, recalled to serve a different purpose. Offered a second chance to live your lives! With only one small condition, only one slight sacrifice…” He paused as they looked at him.

“That we serve you?” Corey asked in a small voice.

“Oh, no, not me. Him.” Theo pulled back, pointing at Stiles. “This is your leader! This is your Alpha Chimera!” He grinned as he saw Stiles’ eyes flare almost blindingly pink and then fade to purple. The resurrected chimeras fell to their knees as one, chanting in unison.

"Command me, Alpha! Command me, Alpha! Command me, Alpha!" 

Theo looked at Stiles, seeing him stand tall and proud, the cruel smile twisting his lips was mirror of the chimera’s own. He felt a tremor run across his body; the ritual was complete; the Alpha Chimera was finally at full power.

"They all belong to you, Stiles." Theo said, dropping his head deferentially.

"They belong to us, Theo." Stiles moved over, reaching a hand out to raise Theo's face, their eyes connecting, his next words sending a shiver down Theo's spine. " _Our_ perfect chimera army."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one took longer than usual, given the changes to canon. 
> 
> So, I moved a few of the sequences around on this chapter to make it all fit better, but I'm happy with it. Obviously Stiles got a little bit darker and combine that with Theo being ruthlessly manipulative, I'm excited to see where this takes us in the second half of the story! Hope you enjoyed it, and more to come next week.


	11. Shattered

They looked at him, expectant, and Stiles stood forward, seeing their yellow eyes burning before him, a reflection of his own blazing purple orbs. He glanced at Theo, the chimera nodded encouragingly, and he began to speak. “I am the Alpha Chimera; the Overmind. I might not be able to turn invisible, or shatter bones with my teeth, or paralyse with a single touch. But I don’t need to.” Stiles walked past Theo, looking at each of them in turn. He raised his hands towards the sky. “You can all feel it: the power, all around you, and here in my presence you know it’s amplified, you know you’re better with me. Together we will do great things, whereas alone, we’d end up like them.” He pointed towards the un-revived chimeras around the Nemeton. “Discarded, abandoned, useless. Good for nothing but experimentation and testing. But you, my glorious followers, you are better than them, you each have something that I want, that I need, and together we will destroy the Dread Doctors, and anyone who gets in our way.” 

Theo smiled as Stiles spoke, watching him move closer to each of the resurrected chimeras, continuing his speech.

“For now, return to your families, and if they’re interested,” He looked at them knowingly. “Tell them a lie, something silly and unimportant; a fight with a friend, distracted on a hike through the forest, a misdiagnosed hospital visit.” Stiles glanced at Corey, before sweeping back to stand in the center of the clearing. “Regardless of what you do, I will call on you soon. There is so much potential here, and with me-and Theo-as your leaders, we will do what is necessary to rid Beacon Hills of the Doctors and their evil creations.” He didn’t expect applause as he finished speaking, and Stiles wasn’t even sure where it had all come from. Perhaps it was because he had sat on the side-lines long enough beside Scott, but it had seemed like the right moment, and there was a subtle change in their scents, as though his words had given them meaning, something to hold on to. He looked at Theo, lowering his voice. “Was that alright, do you think?”

“Yeah, that’s was good.” Theo smiled at him, “Are you sure you want them just walking around though? What if someone sees them? Someone who knows that they should be dead.”

“It doesn’t matter.” The Alpha Chimera replied, rubbing his eyes, suddenly tired. “It’s been a while since I’ve had a decent night’s sleep. We will think about the future in detail tomorrow.”

“Ok, I see your point.” Theo glanced around as the other chimeras began to depart. Tracy lingered beside them and he frowned at her. Stiles noticed his gaze and looked at her too.

“Problem, Tracy?”

“No.”

“Right,” Stiles replied slowly. “Your father’s dead, isn’t he? No other family?”

“No.”

“Huh.” Stiles looked at Theo, and inclined his head at Tracy. “Theo?”

“What?” He followed his boyfriend’s eyes, sighing. “Oh, fine. Tracy, you can sleep on my couch.”

She didn’t reply, merely nodded, and Stiles smiled his thanks at Theo. “Yeah, that’ll do for now. We’ll need to figure out a meeting place, maybe somewhere they can all stay; I know Corey’s parents aren’t exactly…pleasant.”

“What do you mean?”

“The son of the Sheriff overhears a lot, Theo.” Stiles didn’t elaborate, moving away towards the Nemeton instead as Theo gave Tracy his address. The Alpha Chimera stared at the giant stump. _What now, Stiles? Are we really going to try and take down the Dread Doctors?_

_That’s what Scott wants to do, but his hands are constantly tied by what he’s willing to do. Sometimes the gloves need to come off, sometimes we just need to act. Even if it means fountains of blood, or sacrificing everyone._

“Stiles?” Theo touched his shoulder, interrupting his thoughts. “They’re all gone now, if reluctantly. It even feels a bit dimmer here.”

“Yes, I can feel it too, like the color is being drained out of the world.” Stiles turned to face him, his eyes fading back to their natural brown. “Thanks Theo, for everything.”

“You don’t have to thank me, Stiles.” Theo grinned at him. “I recognise your strength, something I don’t think the rest of them ever did.”

“No, that’s true. And besides, I’d be nothing without you, and my-our-chimeras.” He felt warmth spread across his chest as his eyes connected with Theo’s. “Come on, let’s go. We’ll head to my house; my Dad shouldn’t be back from the city yet.”

“Sounds good.”

 

Theo glanced at Stiles as they drove through the quiet streets of Beacon Hills. He wondered if he should bring up leaving Lydia behind, but his instincts told him that would be a mistake. Instead he cleared his throat and said, “You’ve been quiet since we left the forest. Are you ok?”

“Yeah, I guess, just thinking.” Stiles kept looking out the window. “But, it occurred to me that your parents might freak out at finding a half transformed Kanima on their couch in the morning. You don’t think that’s weird?” He asked when Theo remained silent.

“Stiles, um,” He hesitated, gripping the steering wheel harder. “Uh, they’re not actually my parents. The Dread Doctors recruited them to be my “parents”, so I could stay at the house and, I don’t know, appear normal, I guess.”

“Hmm.”

“This is unusual, though, in other towns and cities, I stayed with the Doctors, even if I did go to school like a regular teenager.” Silence stretched out in the truck and Theo glanced at Stiles every few moments. “Can you say something? Please?”

“I was right!”

“What?”

“First day of school, I was right.” Stiles looked at him, grinning. “Criminal tremor, called it!”

“You’re not angry?”

Stiles sighed, his smile fading, “Theo, I think you lying about them being your parents is insignificant in the face of all the lies we’ve both told.”

Theo nodded, “Alright. But, err, to answer your original question, it won’t matter, they know not to interfere in my business. When this is all over, I was meant to let them go.”

“Having second thoughts?”

“Uh,” Theo frowned, unable to read Stiles’ scent, his heart was steady, pulse even. “I could release them early, it’s not like they have anything I need anymore, and we could use a place for our chimeras to stay, or lie low if need be. I can encircle it in mountain ash; keep out all the supernaturals.”

“Good idea.” Stiles nodded, as they turned into his street. “I have a box of it at home, just in case.”

Theo pulled up in front of Stiles’ house, it was dark, no cars in the drive. “Guess your dad isn’t back yet. Maybe he’s at the station?”

“Could be. Parrish left a hell of a mess.” He opened the door. “Come on.”

 

He was tired, but Stiles saw the glint in Theo’s eyes, and smirked at him. “I guess sleep can wait a bit.”

“Free house, Stiles. How often does that happen?”

“Pretty much every night.” Stiles shrugged, as Theo pulled his t-shirt off, his eyes travelling up and down his boyfriend’s smooth, muscular body. “Although, I suppose this means no one is gonna overhear us.”

“Yup.” Theo grinned at him, unbuckling his belt, waiting for Stiles to drop his pullover in the chair beside the bed. His t-shirt soon followed and the chimera moistened his lips as his eyes drifted over Stiles’ firm body. “So, what do you want to do?”

“Something simple, probably the thing you most enjoy!” Stiles moved closer to Theo, catching his lips in his own, his fingers looping into the waistband of his trousers, grinding against him. Theo guided him back towards the bed, sitting suddenly as Stiles forced him down.

“Hey!”

“What? You get to be dominant all the time?” Stiles hitched a brow at him, as Theo shook his head. “Pants off.”

Theo smirked at him, pushing his trousers to his ankles. “Sure thing, Alpha.”

“That’s what I want to hear.” Stiles straddled Theo’s lap, his own pants lying in a heap beside the bed. He bucked slightly until his boyfriend’s hardon pressed into the crevice of his ass. “Aw yeah, now kiss me!”

Theo didn’t waste time with words, instead kissing him hard on the lips, feeling his own buzz pleasantly at the intensity of the pressure. Stiles rocked back and forth on his cock, just enough friction to make it enjoyable. Theo moaned as Stiles parted his lips and invited his tongue to clash against his own. He could feel the Alpha Chimera’s hands moving down his strong arms, across his firm pectoral muscles, Theo smirked and pulled back, diving to the side, and licking a streak down Stiles neck.

“Oh my god…Yes!” He arched, gripping Theo’s shoulders as the chimera dropped onto his back, arms wrapping around Stiles’ naked torso. “That’s…fuck, oh my god!” He pushed himself upwards as Theo’s hands moved lower to his cotton covered ass, his tongue swirling around sensitive nipples. 

Theo enjoyed the way Stiles reacted to him, but he was getting impatient, with all the distractions of the past few days, he hadn’t been able to jerk off, let alone make out with Stiles. He could feel his cock already pulsing, eager for release. 

Stiles looked down as Theo pulled him closer. “What is it? Why did you stop?”

“Have you ever tried a sixty-nine?”

“Uh, I think I told you,” Stiles felt himself blushing as Theo looked up at him, “But, um, my only real experience of sex was with that lacrosse guy in back of his car…”

“Ah, yeah.” Theo ran his hands up and down Stiles’ back comfortingly. “Well, you’ve seen it in porn, right?”

“Sure…”

“Ok, turn around, you face towards my cock. Yeah that’s it.” Theo directed him, pulling down Stiles’ boxers as he felt his own cock being freed. He reached up and gently stroked Stiles’ cock, hearing him moan. “Now just suck as normal, trust me, it’s the best thing ever!”

“Done this a lot?” Stiles asked as he played with Theo’s balls, glancing back at him. The chimera didn’t answer and Stiles closed his eyes as he felt his boyfriend’s wet mouth engulf his length. He basked in the sensation for a moment before lowering his own mouth onto Theo’s cock, feeling the length fit inside, rubbing the head along his cheek. 

Theo grunted in response, his hand gripping Stiles’ ass hard, using the fleshy orbs to pull his cock in deeper, augmenting that by pushing his head up whenever Stiles pulled back. He enjoyed the way Stiles plunged back into his mouth, it was almost as good as the rapid, eager movement Stiles had going around his own cock. The Alpha Chimera was moving almost too quick and Theo felt himself tensing up. He pulled off, “Stiles! I’m gonna cum!”

Stiles blinked and let Theo’s cock fall from his mouth, letting his hands take over, while tonguing his head now and then. A moment later, as Theo’s moans of ecstasy filled the bedroom, his cock erupted, white cream shooting up and covering Stiles’ face and hands, before puddling down on the chimera's abs and naval. He grinned as he gave Theo a final jerk, before rolling onto his back, his own cock pulsing in time to his heart-beat. He frowning, glancing over as his boyfriend just lay there, motionless. “Theo? Aren’t you gonna finish me?”

“What? Uh, sorry, that was….that was intense.”

“Oh, I know.” Stiles grinned at him, wiping the cum off his nose and cheek. He rolled his head back, looking at the ceiling as his boyfriend’s mouth covered him again. “That’s it, mmh. Fuck!”

Theo smirked around Stiles’ cock, it was like the first time, back in the Doctors’ lab, but so much better. It wasn’t forced, he could take his time, enjoy the feel of the thick cock pressed against his tongue, the saltiness of Stiles’ precum, the way he shuddered and arched and moaned a thousand obscenities under his breath. Theo jerked the shaft with his hand, the other reaching up across Stiles’ hard abs towards his erect nipples, knowing how much he enjoyed to have them tweaked and pinched during, how he arched into the touch when he was close. _Guess we’re both in need of some release!_ He didn’t pull off, preferring to feel his boyfriend’s cock pulse in his mouth, the cum spilling down his chin and onto Stiles’ naval. 

“Oh, oh, oh! Theo! Yeah! Oh, uh, uh!” Stiles moaned and twisted, grunting as he unloaded into Theo’s mouth. He gasped, eyes shut as the feelings washed across him. He had never felt so close to anyone. _It’s probably the connection, and the fact you’re at full Alpha Chimera power…_ His brain tried the logical approach, but Stiles ignored it, pulled Theo up to him, tasting the saltiness of his own cum on the chimera’s lips. He smiled, seeing Theo hesitate over the words they were both reluctant to say aloud. Instead, he rolled onto his side, Theo settling down behind him, arms wrapped around his chest, their fingers intertwining. 

 

His phone was buzzing, vibrating hard against the surface of his bedside table. Stiles wriggled free of Theo’s embrace and stretched across the bed to pick up his phone. It was a number he didn’t recognise, but Stiles answered anyway, “Yeah?” He managed, groggily.

“Is this a…uh, Stiles? Stiles Stilinski?” The voice on the other end was unsure, but there was something in the man’s voice that made him pay attention. 

“Yeah, I’m Stiles.”

“Are you related to a Sheriff Stilinski?”

“Yeah, he’s my Dad.” Stiles was suddenly very awake. “What’s going on? Is something wrong?”

“Uh, Mr. Stilinski, I’m with the California Highway Patrol and I’m very sorry to inform you that…” Static filled his ears, and Stiles only barely heard the voice on the other end of the phone speaking. “…the accident was very severe, we’re airlifting your father to Beacon Hills Memorial now.”

“What happened?” Stiles’ voice was leaden, and he felt the bed shift as Theo woke up.

“Uh, we’re not really sure, I mean, I’ve seen this type of wreckage before, but usually in side-on collisions with trains.” The officer hesitated, “Uh, Mr. Stilinski, you’re in law enforcement too, I take it?”

“Yes, police, uh, a deputy.” Stiles lied quickly, gesturing for Theo to gather their clothes. “Can you tell me what happened?”

“Honestly, Deputy, it looks like the Hulk came through here; smashed your father’s car open, broken glass and car parts all over the road, and…well, I’m sure you get the picture.”

“I do. How far away is he?”

“About fifteen miles from Beacon Hills, on Highway Seventeen, the airlift is arriving now, I can see it from here.”

“Ok, thank you, officer.” Stiles hung up, glancing at Theo. “It’s my Dad.”

“I heard. Car accident?”

“Perhaps.” Stiles muttered as he pulled on his pants. _Or more likely, the massive chimera I saw last night?_ He ignored the thought, accepting a fresh t-shirt from Theo. “C’mon, we better go. The helicopter will get him there before we arrive.” Stiles gripped his phone tight as he followed Theo downstairs, trying to control his panic. _We don’t know anything yet, just keep calm Stiles, keep it together._ “Come on, Theo!” He barked at the other chimera, gesturing impatiently at the truck. 

 

Stiles glared at the Administrator, his fury boiling away inside him. Theo was beside him, trying to get him to calm down, “Stiles, he’s prepped for surgery, they’re not going to be able to let you see him. Let’s just-”

“Stop! Just fucking stop, Theo!” He growled at him, turning his furious eyes onto his boyfriend. “Can you just leave, please?”

“I’ll get you something to drink.” Theo held his hands up, and backed away slowly. The anger was palpable, and he could feel it thrumming along the connection he had with the Alpha Chimera, the type of rage that made him want to unleash his claws and bathe them in the blood of everyone around him. _And Stiles would let me do it too, stand there in the midst of a bloodbath. He’d feel guilty later, but get him angry, get him this upset again, and I’d bet he’d even have killed Scott!_ Theo breathed slowly in an attempt to establish control. The bloodlust lessened as he moved away from Stiles, but his mind was aflame with the possibilities of what the Alpha Chimera could do if he was that angry, or upset. He grinned darkly. 

 

"It's Stilinski, right?"

"Yeah." He replied tersely.

"You said his insurance was with the County? He's a Deputy?"

"No! He's the Sheriff! The County Sheriff!" Stiles yelled at her, exasperated. "Ok? He's covered! He should be covered!" Stiles struggled to rein in his anger, jumping as he felt a hand on his back. He looked up to see Melissa taking the form from him.

"I'll take care of it."

"Melissa, I-"

"Stiles, I've texted Scott, he'll come as soon as he can." She guided him away from the counter and out of earshot of the Administrator. “He’s just a bit delayed.”

The chimera stared at her, unsure of how much she knew about his argument with Scott. "Thanks. Is he alright, with the,” He lowered his voice, “supermoon?”

"You don't know?" She looked at him, and then glanced around carefully.

"Know what?" Stiles frowned at her, confused. "What? What is it?"

"Liam attacked Scott, almost killed him. And then, then Theo tried to finish the job." Melissa spoke unevenly, swiftly wiping away the tears that threatened to fall.

"No, that can't be right." Stiles muttered, turning away from her. "He wouldn't...But, but Scott's alive?"

"Yes, he's an Alpha." She replied, pride mixed with concern, frowning at him as he continued to shake his head. "Stiles?"

"I told Theo to...it was necessary, he would have tried to stop us...But I never meant for..." Stiles muttered beneath his breath, staggering away from her. After a moment, steadying himself on a gurney nearby, the Alpha Chimera looked up, his tone hard and eyes cold. "I don't believe you."

"What?"

“I don’t believe that Theo would try to kill him, not deliberately, not in cold blood. You’re lying.”

“Stiles, that-”

"I'll take that." He reached over and pulled the form from her hands. "I don't need your help, Melissa, I don't want your help." Stiles could feel her staring at him, but he ignored the nurse and focused instead on the Administrator, putting all his fury and stress into a glare. “Well?”

"It's coming up now." The Administrator looked between them, "Is there anyone else we need to notify? A next of kin?"

"No. It's me." Stiles stared straight ahead, refusing to acknowledge Melissa's presence. "It's just me." He glared at the counter top, his mind reeling with the possibilities; _Even if Theo did try and…no, he wouldn’t have, it must be some sort of lie, a trick. Yeah, that’s it, he’s trying to get back at me after Donovan…if Liam really attacked Scott, it would make sense for Scott to try and blame Theo, drive a wedge between us. He’s made it pretty clear that we’re not friends._ He waited until she gave an exasperated sigh and moved away, before looking down the hallway. Stiles gestured for Theo to approach and pulled him away from the counter.

“Here. It’s strong, smells like crap though.” Theo handed him a coffee. “What’s wrong?”

“Melissa thinks you tried to kill Scott.” Stiles stated bluntly, watching him closely.

“Ah.”

“Is that it? No defense?”

“He’s alive then? Hmm, stronger than I thought.” Theo muttered, leaning back against the wall. He shrugged at Stiles. “It’s complicated.”

“I bet.” Stiles shook his head. “Look, this is a complication I don’t need right now. Go back to your house, gather the chimeras, all of them.”

“And then what?” Theo asked with a frown. “What are you expecting?”

“Counter-attack. If Scott comes looking for payback, I want you to have some protection. He is an Alpha werewolf.” Stiles added, seeing Theo bristle at the suggestion that he needed backup. “Look, even if he doesn’t try and come for you, at least they’ll be safe there. We’re not ready to make any moves yet.”

“If you’re sure?”

“I am.” Stiles pulled Theo into a hug, burying his face in the chimera’s neck. “I need you, Theo, nothing can happen to you.” Theo’s arms were strong around him and his eyes were sad when Stiles pulled back. “We still need to talk about this, but not now, not with my Dad…”

“I understand, Stiles.” Theo nodded, keeping a grip on Stiles’ hand. _Can’t say I didn’t expect this, but it’s a good thing, now he has to choose, and whatever friendship they had in the past, no way will Stiles choose Scott over me!_ His lips twitched into a smile and he turned to leave, letting his hands pull out of Stiles’.

 

Stiles walked over to the waiting area, sitting down heavily. It was the first time he’d really been alone for hours; the days had all blurred into one big mass of events with little to no sleep to break it up. First it was Scott and Donovan, and then Theo and Parrish and the Nemeton. And now this. He picked idly at the skin around his fingers, tearing strips off and not even noticing when his hands began to bleed, cracked and broken flesh that was made worse as he continued to rip at it. He stared at a spot on the floor ten feet away, unblinking, as the reality set in that this might be it. He could lose his father, right now, he could have been too badly injured by the chimera-Stiles didn’t accept that it was an accident-or he could bleed out on the table and the doctors wouldn’t be able to stop it. _What about Theo’s serum? It brought back Tracy and she’s been dead for weeks._ He shook his head to himself, _No. That’s not really the point, is it? Sure, Theo could bring him back, but…_ Stiles let the thought trail off into nothingness, a pair of legs blocking his view. Melissa was standing in front of him again, calling his name. 

Stiles ignored her, didn’t even raise his eyes from the floor, looking through her as though she wasn’t there. Her voice was distant, as though on another planet, he didn’t care, he didn’t want to know. If it was about his Dad, it could only be bad news; he hadn’t been in there for long enough. Stiles blinked as Melissa moved away from him, what happened to Scott, it was…too much to think about right now. _And even if Theo had tried to kill him…but why? What would drive him to do that? She hadn’t explained, there must have been a reason for Theo to do it. He wouldn’t have done it in cold blood, just like that. And then talking about Liam? Sure, he was always unstable on the full moon, but…I hate these gaps._ Stiles glanced up as a doctor approached, but he was smiling, directing his attention towards the couple sitting behind Stiles.

Alpha Chimera.

That was what he was, what he claimed to be among the others who were resurrected a few hours before. _But am I really? I saw that beast, that monstrous chimera, hulking in the darkness, a beast, and I didn’t do anything. I should have tried. They’re mine to control!_ White hot anger burned inside him for a moment before it was extinguished. Stiles clasped his hands together and rested his mouth against his thumbs. _Mine…They’re people, teenagers, sure I can make them dance like puppets on a string, but…Damn it. I should have said something to Theo, he might know, I always feel like he’s holding back something, some tiny piece of the puzzle only he knows. But that’s just a distraction, Stiles, you know that._ Stiles felt the tears prick at his eyes, whispering to himself, “It’s my fault; the Beast, getting the Deputies to call my father back…” The thoughts ran in circles around his mind, no escape from the fact that the blame was his; he caused this, through accident or inaction, it was because of him that he might lose his father. Stiles let the tears drip down his face, his heart feeling like it wanted to burst from his chest, and tear everything else out with it. He swallowed hard, the emotions sweeping him away into the darkest of pits.

 

Theo paced in front of the fireplace, looking around the living room, they were almost all here, Hayden was conspicuously absent however. He could hear the fast beating hearts of his “parents” upstairs, their fear a stench he would be only too glad to purge from this house. The Doctors had left them with him, and they had served their purpose, Stiles was with him as Alpha Chimera, the other chimeras a protective wall around them, what use did he have for mouth breathing humans anymore? Theo looked up as Corey approached him. “What?”

“Um, I was wondering if I could have a drink? Water is fine.” He avoided Theo’s eyes, and chewed his lip nervously.

“Yeah, sure. Kitchen is through there.” Theo pointed, watching him leave. _Is he afraid of me? Or is my bad mood showing?_ “You guys have any trouble getting out?”

“I never went home.” Josh shrugged, slouching back on the couch.

“Oh, uh, I slipped out,” Corey returned with a glass, adding, “My parents didn’t even notice.”

“Huh.” Theo frowned. _Why do all chimeras seem to come from shattered homes? No one to miss them or worry about their safety? Is that the Dread Doctors’ reasoning?_ His thoughts were interrupted by Tracy catching his eye.

“We should attack them.” She spoke in a low voice, menace dripping from her words. “Why wait for them to come to us?”

“Because Stiles said we wait.” Theo replied, looking at the other two chimeras. “Your thoughts?”

“I don’t care.” 

“Right.” Theo watched Josh carefully, the teenager didn’t seem to harbour a grudge even after Theo had killed him. “Corey?”

“Um,” He shrugged, looking at the floor. “I’m worried about Stiles, is he going to be alright?”

“Stiles is strong, a powerful chimera, and tough as nails. We need to be strong for him, be ready when he comes for us. And he will come for us. The Dread Doctors are no push over, and the Alpha Chimera is only as powerful as those around him.” Theo stood up, looking at them one at a time. “I know you felt it, everything multiplied when we were near him, the world was a thousand times brighter, sharper, crisper, you could hear a cricket dancing on a puddle, now imagine what that will do to our abilities!”

“I beginning to like the sound of this.” Tracy smiled darkly, examining her claws.

“Good, because we have work to do.” Theo gestured towards the front door. “Corey, you’re on overwatch. As soon as you see Scott or Liam or anyone not Stiles, you call out, and we’ll back you up.” The chimera nodded and Theo watched him leave, resuming his pacing as Tracy and Josh went out to raid the fridge.

Theo flicked his claws out, irritated, feeling torn; on the one hand, he should be with Stiles, on the other he should be with the…pack? _Is that the right word? Stiles referred to them as both his army and his followers, but neither of those terms feel right. Pack is the obvious choice; he is the Alpha of all chimeras after all._ Theo whiled away the hours as thoughts tumbled idly in his mind.

 

 _Stiles, you need to get up now._ His father's voice was soft, but insistent. _You gotta get up now._ He woke with a start, gasping in a lungful of air. Stiles looked to one side, pulling back as he saw Melissa crouched beside him.

"Hey." She whispered, "No, no, wait, Stiles, please." The nurse reached out to grab his arm and he reluctantly let her. "He's ok. Dr Geyer is stitching him up right now."

Stiles made as if to stand, "Ok, I want to see him." His throat was hoarse, as though he had been shouting. Melissa pushed him back down.

"Ok, ok. the anaesthetic needs to wear off, it's going to be at least two hours."

"Everything's going to be ok, though? Right? He's going to be ok?"

"Yeah." She forced a smile. "He's going to be just fine." 

Stiles watched her stand, chewing on his bottom lip. "Melissa? About earlier...I'm sorry."

Melissa didn't reply, nodding instead as she walked away, her expression was unreadable and he didn’t have Theo with him to enhance his senses. _Theo…What happened between you and Scott? Something must have. Maybe it was me, I said I wanted him to be taught a lesson, for Liam and Scott to rough each other up. Did something get lost in communication?_ Stiles stood up, stretching slowly, pulling out his phone. It was answered in seconds.

“Stiles? What do you need?”

“You.” He looked at his reflection in the glass of the window. “I need you, Theo.”

 

It didn’t take him long to come, pushing into the deserted waiting room. “Well? Any news?”

“Yeah. They said he’s going to make a full recovery.” Stiles looked up, nodding. “But that’s only part of the reason I wanted you to come. We need to talk about Scott.”

Theo nodded reluctantly. “Ok.”

“What exactly happened?”

“So, uh,” Theo looked at his hands, before glancing at Stiles. “I knew that he’d try and stop us, probably didn’t think what we were doing was the right thing.”

“Even though he says chimeras are victims.”

“Right, but we used the Doctors’ own twisted science to bring them back.” Theo explained. “I figured that once Liam gave into his anger over Hayden’s death, he’d make a line for Scott, with a little push.”

“Hmm.” Stiles grunted, gesturing for him to continue.

“They fought; Liam ripped him up pretty good, and then he ran away.”

“And then you decided to finish the job?” Stiles glared at him. “Seriously Theo?”

“Hey, you said you wanted him to suffer, to know what it’s like to get that sucker punch to the gut, same as he gave to you.”

“Yeah, well, you can’t punch a werewolf, trust me, I’ve tried.” He sighed heavily. “I never asked you to attack him, or kill him, or whatever happened. Just to keep him out of our way.” 

"How else was he to be distracted? He’s an Alpha, and the Doctors told me that Scott once broke through a mountain ash circle." Theo protested, reaching for Stiles. The Alpha Chimera shrugged him off. “Stiles, I couldn’t take the risk.”

"So, what, you thought driving your claws into his chest was a better idea?" Stiles hissed, turning swiftly, getting in his face. 

Theo pulled back, shaking his head. He could smell Stiles' anger all around him. 

"How do we fix this, Theo?"

"Ultimately both we and Scott want the same thing; the destruction of the Dread Doctors."

"And the Beast." Stiles added, explaining about his encounter the night before. 

“Fuck. Seriously?” Theo’s expression was grim. “This changes everything. I always thought you were the big plan, but if all they wanted was for you to control this thing…”

“At least that means it can be controlled.”

“Or so the Doctors think.” Theo muttered. “Point is, there’s a worse threat facing Beacon Hills than you and me.”

“So, now I’m lumped in with you!” Stiles laughed, the noise breaking the tension between them. “Ah, fuck it, Theo, I already have enough guilt about my Dad, I’m not adding Scott to the list.” He looked past Theo as a nurse approached them. “Yes? Can I see my Dad now?”

“Uh, the doctor would like to speak with you.” She addressed Stiles, “You’re the next of kin?”

“Yeah.” Stiles moved forward, his pulse spiking. “Why? What happened?”

“The doctor will explain it. Please follow me.” She gestured up the hallway, but held out a hand to Theo. “I’m sorry, family only.”

Stiles looked at her. “He’s the only other family I have. He’s coming.”

 _Wow._ Theo blinked as his chest constricted suddenly, but he accepted Stiles’ outstretched hand. The nurse pursed her lips, but allowed them to continue on.

 

“Just get to the damn point!” 

Stiles was furious again, Theo could smell it in the air, mixed with frustration from the deliberately impenetrable answers from the two doctors standing in front of him. Melissa was opposite Stiles, looking as though she had swallowed a particularly bitter pill, avoiding Theo’s presence. _Oh this is delicious! I turned my claws red with your son’s blood and you can’t say a damn thing about it. That must really grate on you, huh?_ Theo watched her, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards. 

“Are you kidding me?” Stiles glared at the doctor. “He looks like someone took a baseball bat to his neck!”

"Well there is some minor internal bleeding."

"Minor? When is anything internal minor?" Stiles demanded angrily, glancing between Doctor Geyer and Melissa. "Will someone tell me what's happening? Somebody needs to tell me what's happening! Somebody needs to tell me what's happening to him right now!" Stiles repeated, his voice rising as rage at their lack of response boiled over. The doctor looked away and Stiles turned his fury on Melissa. “Well?”

"We don't know."

 _Lies! More lies, just like he was going to be fine._ The insidious thought crept across his mind. Stiles looked up and spotted Scott standing at the door to his father's room. _Back from the dead, Scott? You’re about to wish you weren’t!_ Stiles moved around Melissa and through the doors. Theo followed him closely. “What are you doing here, Scott?”

“I…” The werewolf faltered, his eyes darting past Stiles towards Theo. He uttered a low growl and charged down the hallway towards Stiles. 

“Oh, fuck!” Theo’s eyes widened and he moved to intercept, colliding with Scott in the center of the corridor. The force of the Alpha was enough to push him to the ground, even in his wounded state, Scott was still strong. Theo crossed his arms to protect his face as Scott began to punch him, his fists hammering into the chimera’s chest and stomach. Stiles moved in, trying to separate them, pulling on Scott’s arm. The werewolf’s elbow smashed into his face and Stiles staggered back, vision blinded and his lip split open, gushing blood. The security guard and orderlies managed to pull the other two apart before they unleashed their claws. “Let go of me!” Theo wriggled out of the grip the doctor had him in and darted over to check on Stiles.

"Alright! Alright!" Scott stopped struggling and Theo helped Stiles upright, one hand tilting his boyfriend's face to check the damage. A nurse offered him some gauze and Stiles nodded his thanks, as Theo’s fingers slipped in the blood.

"It's busted pretty bad." Theo glared at Scott. "You're supposed to be his best friend, Scott."

"You-" Scott lunged forward but the security guard dragged him backwards. He changed tack, addressing Stiles instead. "Look, your Dad's not the only one who got hurt."

"Oh, you'll heal." Stiles dismissed his point with a nod of his head, his hand pressing the wad of gauze to his lip. Theo smirked openly at Scott, seeing the spots of blood on his t-shirt.

"Not talking about me," The Alpha replied. "It's Lydia."

Stiles glanced at Theo. "Go on."

"Parrish found her in the forest, freezing, bloody, and she's out of it. Catatonic, he thinks."

"Hmm." Stiles grunted. _Good news or bad? Depends on what she remembers._ "Has she said anything about what happened to her?"

"No, she hasn't said anything."

_Good news then, for now. The things we’re beginning to consider Stiles, is this really the path you want to take?_

_Not much choice, it is necessary._ Those were words he was beginning to use a lot. Aloud he said, “She’s here? I better go see her.”

Scott tried to say something, but Theo moved in front of him. “Will I wait here?”

“Yeah, stay with my Dad, outside the door, just in case.” Stiles muttered darkly, pushing past Theo as his lip throbbed painfully.

 

He waited outside her room, hearing Mrs Martin promising her daughter the best medical care, the best doctors. Stiles finished dabbing his lip with the gauze, stuffing it in his pocket, lingering by the open door. He didn’t want to go in, didn’t want to see the results of his “necessary” sacrifice. _Sacrifice..._ The word hit him suddenly, Donovan had been the sacrifice to Awaken him, was Lydia’s sanity the price of his army?

"No!"

He looked up as Mrs Martin stood and walked towards him, "No, you don't. You're not coming in here. Get out!" 

“Wait, I just, I want-”

“No!” 

He tried to move closer, tried to see if the Doctors did something to her, but Mrs Martin pushed him back out of the room, blaming him for it, and closed the door in his face. “Leave us alone!”

 

Theo crouched outside the supply room, hearing the three voices inside as though he was there with them…

Parrish: It could be a side effect of shock.

Scott: No, I saw the blood around her neck, and the way she's been turned catatonic: it must have been Theo digging into her mind.

Parrish: I meant Stiles…

Scott: Right, right. Regardless, Theo must have been trying to pull something from her memories.

Melissa: Why would he do that? What is he looking for?

Scott: The same thing he's always looking for; an advantage.

Melissa: Do you think Stiles knows the truth?

Scott: I don't know, Theo's claws are buried pretty deep there too. From what you said, he doesn't believe that Theo is capable of murder, or maybe he just can't believe it. Theo said that Stiles wanted me to suffer, but, he lies all the time. 

Parrish: You're worried about Stiles? What about Lydia?

Scott: We can't do anything for her until we figure out Theo's plan. 

Melissa: I think at this stage, Lydia’s best hope is medical, maybe psychological help. 

Scott: We need to-I need to-talk to Stiles, one on one, try and make him see reason.

Melissa: And if he won't? If he's really in love with Theo, he won't listen to you, Scott. You saw what Liam nearly did for love. Besides, Theo is almost always next to Stiles. You can’t go near him with that monster there. 

Scott: I have to. I’ll figure out some way to catch him on his own.

Melissa: Isn't that a little dangerous since he almost killed you?

Scott: Theo, not Stiles. 

Parrish: He's got Stiles wrapped around his little finger, I see it all the time with domestics, there's no way he will believe that Theo could do what we're saying.

Melissa: We have to do something. I have known Stiles for too long for us to just write him off. 

Scott: I'll talk to him, despite Donovan, and Theo, he's still Stiles, he's still my best friend.

 

Theo moved away from the door, having heard enough. He frowned, not liking the idea of Scott trying to talk to Stiles alone. _We can’t have distractions this late in the plan, not when Stiles is so close to realising his full potential._ The chimera returned to the floor where the Sheriff was being kept, gesturing for Stiles to follow him. 

“What is it? What are they planning?” Stiles asked, his mouth and lower half of his face stained with drying blood. 

Theo ripped his eyes away from the sight, feeling his cock hardening in his trousers. “Err, Scott is going to try and talk to you, alone; just you and him.”

“Right…” Stiles looked around, catching the eye of a nurse. “Uh, I’m just going to head home, get some sleep, I’ll be back in a few hours. If anything changes, call me, please.”

“Of course, you look like you need it.” The nurse smiled sympathetically at him.

“C’mon, we can’t talk freely here.”

 

Stiles towelled his hair dry, drinking the coffee Theo had made him. “Thanks, it’s good.”

“Feeling better?”

“Well, my face hurts like hell, my father is still mysteriously sick, and Scott wants to break us apart.” Stiles smirked at him, “Apart from that…”

“Right, sorry, stupid question.” Theo sat down across from him. “What can we do about Scott?”

“We deal with him. Not like that.” Stiles rolled his eyes. “We re-direct him, give him something else to focus on.”

“Like what?”

“You.”

“Me?” Theo echoed, confused. “Isn’t that opposite to our goals?”

“Long term, sure. But for right now, we need to paint a big fat target on you and let Scott run straight at you; he likes doing that.” Stiles took a sip and continued on. “You saw how he was fighting; if he was a fully recovered Alpha he would have broken my neck with that punch. So, he’s wounded, confidence is low, having your own Beta beat you into a pulp will do that.”

“I like where this going.” Theo smirked.

“I’m just using what you gave me, Theo.” Stiles returned the grin. “He wants to get back at you, but because he’s Scott, he can never justify it on revenge grounds. But if he thinks he’s _saving_ me, then he’ll come after you.”

“So, we make him think I’m holding you against your will; that you’re afraid of me, just some regular old human?” Theo nodded. “Here’s an idea, he probably thinks you’re hung up on the Donovan thing, ask him if you break up with me, will he’ll forgive you?”

“Yeah, that’s good.” Stiles thought for a moment. “You’ll need to come back at some point; signal me and we’ll have a row, you push me down, aggressive, angry, make it look good Theo, but avoid the face.”

“You’re hot as fuck, Stiles, busted up or not!” Theo licked his lips as he ran his eyes up and down Stiles obviously.

“Gah, you’re shameless!” Stiles smiled back at him, grimacing as his lip flared up. “Would it have killed the Dread Doctors to build in healing with the Overmind?”

“Yeah, well, maybe with everyone else around it’ll work.”

“Soon, Theo, soon.” Stiles reassured him. “We just have to deal with Scott first, and save my Dad of course.”

“Yeah, but it’s a good plan.” Theo nodded, moving around so he could press his arms against Stiles’, not wanting to hurt him by kissing his lips. “They already think I’m the bad guy; let them keep thinking that.”

“ _Think_? Uh, you’ve kinda shown them that you are the bad guy.”

Theo looked at him sideways, but he saw the glint of laughter in his boyfriend’s eyes. “I guess. But we're fighting the same enemy as they are, Stiles, they just need to realise it.”

"Yes, they do." Stiles muttered, his eyes burning purple, anger sweeping him. "No more grovelling, no more waiting for Scott to do the right thing. This time we act, we strike first."

“Anything for you, Stiles, my Alpha Chimera.” Theo mock bowed, grinning widely.

Stiles smirked, casually dismissing him. “Yeah, yeah, get outta here, Theo!” He scrunched up his face as the chimera leaned in, kissing him on the cheek, before leaving.

 

There was a knock on the door and Stiles stood up, looking outside the window to see Scott’s bike parked on the drive. “Finally,” He moved to open the door. “Scott.” The werewolf stood in front of him, not speaking, even as he tried to several times. Stiles sighed. “Come in, Scott. Theo’s not here.”

“Oh, good, uh, I mean, I wanted to speak to you.”

“Uh huh?”

“First off, I’m sorry about your face. Does it hurt? I can take some of the pain?”

“No, no, it’s fine. I’m not in pain.” Stiles brushed off Scott’s eager offer. “Why are you here? What can I say that you haven’t already heard?”

“What do you mean?” Scott asked him, confusion written across his brow, “Stiles, we’re worried about you; spending all your time with Theo, blocking out your friends, and that’s not even considering what he did to me!”

“And what did he do to you, Scott?” Stiles fired back, “Your Mom tried to sell me some story about you dying.”

“It’s not crazy, I was dead, Stiles. And your boyfriend was the one whose claws were in my chest.” Scott reached for him, but Stiles pulled back.

“Don’t, it’s bad enough you’re here, he’s gonna smell you, but I can’t have him smell you on me.” Stiles let a little fear and anxiety seep into his scent, seeing the way Scott’s expression changed. _Delightful addition, Stiles!_ “Just, uh, just say what you came here to say.”

Scott moistened his lips, “Lydia, Stiles. It’s obvious that Theo was poking around inside her mind for something. I don’t know what it is, and I don’t really care. He hurt our friend; the girl you’ve had a crush on for years.”

“Oh, come on, Scott! Really? You obviously never noticed that I only started having a _crush_ on Lydia when she was going out with Jackson.” Stiles shook his head as Scott radiated confusion. “I’m gay, Scott, one hundred percent. And, yeah, Lydia has become a good friend, but I’m not going to turn on my boyfriend without proof. Did you see claw marks in her neck?”

“No.” Scott admitted. “Mrs Martin wouldn’t let me see her. But tapping into someone’s memories is always risky for Alphas, let alone a, an Omega like Theo.”

Stiles frowned as Scott stumbled over calling Theo an Omega. _So, not being totally honest, are we?_ “Ok, but we both know that Banshees have fragile mental states; anything could have happened to Lydia.” He gestured at the werewolf, “Maybe she heard your death, Scott, and tipped her over the edge, she wandered into the Preserve. We don’t know.” His heart rate was even, he looked Scott in the eyes, _Able to lie with such ease now, Stiles?_

“Stiles, why did you never tell me about Liam?” Scott frowned at him as Stiles looked at the floor.

“Huh. What would I have to tell you about your own Beta?”

“Theo, uh, he mentioned that you and Liam…” Scott didn’t finish the sentence and Stiles darted him a look.

“Liam’s straight, and he has a gay best friend if he wanted to experiment.” Stiles said, tone bitter.

“But you wanted to…experiment with him?” The werewolf pressed.

“Uh…” Stiles began to speak and then stopped, looking into Scott’s eyes. “I never told you _because_ of Liam. And besides, I figured you’d have noticed that I liked him, I’ve liked him since you turned him, maybe even before that.” He looked away, cheeks blushing at this honest admission. 

“Yeah, I mean, I smelt…well, I thought that was just normal Stiles nervous tension.” 

“Look, forget about it, ok? Liam has, had,” He corrected himself, “Hayden.” 

“I’m sorry that I haven’t paid you enough attention, Stiles.” Scott’s voice was sincere. “How can we repair the damage between us?”

"What about Donovan?" Stiles asked. 

“Well, that’s not really-”

“Scott, don’t dodge it. This is what has really driven us apart, not Theo.” _Come on Scott, take the bait!_

“I know. Look, I’m struggling with that, but I’d rather have you back and be struggling with it, than be alone with all those unanswered questions.”

“What are you asking for Scott?”

The werewolf took a breath, his eyes connecting with Stiles, unable to see the deception lying within. “Break up with Theo, I’ll forgive you for killing Donovan.”

 _Good dog, Scott!_ Stiles looked away from him, chewing his bottom lip, making it appear that he was considering the offer. “That’s tempting.”

“There’ll be other guys, Stiles, Liam might even…”

 _Damn, are you seriously willing to whore out your Beta to get me back?_ Stiles stared at him as Scott back tracked furiously.

“Uh, well, I didn’t mean, I just, I’ll help you find someone else is all.” Scott appeared to realise something and hastily added, “Plus, we’ll protect you, from Theo, obviously.”

“An Alpha is a lot of protection.” Stiles muttered and nodded slowly. “Will you, can you stay with me, when I call him? I don’t think he’d hurt me, but he is a werewolf, I’m…”

“Only human, right, of course.” Scott finished. “I can wait upstairs?”

“Yeah, perfect.” Stiles stopped, as a thought occurred to him. “Actually, I can put a line of mountain ash across the threshold; the rest of the house is encircled with the powder already. Part of the defenses Deaton put in last year.” He explained as he walked over to the pine box by the door. Stiles glanced at Scott, _Well, Scott, any reason I shouldn’t?_ The werewolf didn’t say anything and Stiles sealed the house. “I’ll leave the door open, we can talk then.” 

“Great.” Scott muttered. 

“I’ll text him.” Stiles turned away, typing as Scott headed to the bathroom. _Come over, plan in motion._

 

Stiles sat on the steps of his stairs, leaving the door open as morning sunshine spilled across the wooden floors; the line of mountain ash obvious as it barred the entrance. _To everything supernatural, of course._ He sat with his fingers intertwined and stared at the ground, a thousand thoughts rushing through his mind. 

A shadow fell over him and Stiles looked up, smile playing around his lips as Theo stood in his doorway. "Hey."

"Hey." Theo replied softly, grinning at him. "You ok?"

"Yeah, yeah, you just, you look great." Stiles muttered, Theo was backlit by the sun, simple t-shirt revealing strong arms and smooth skin. "You gonna come in or just stand there all day?"

Theo glanced at the threshold, seeing the line of mountain ash and then stepped across. “Really?”

“I was testing something.” Stiles replied, letting the flutter of panic enter his pulse. Theo’s eyes narrowed.

“Did I pass?”

“I’m not sure.” Stiles lowered his eyes, that sweet sensation of his senses sharpening around him. When he raised them again, he saw Theo's yellow eyes gazing at him, he knew his own eyes had shifted to purple. Stiles took a breath, calming himself, willing his heart not to beat too fast. Scott could hear everything, and smell more, even if he couldn't see them.

Theo pointed upwards and Stiles nodded. Theo returned the gesture, understanding, leaning back to disturb the line of mountain ash, breaking the protection. 

"What did you want to talk to me about?"

"It's important. It's about Scott."

"What about him?"

"Did you try and kill him?" Stiles looked at him dead-on, giving nothing away. Theo shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

"He's not dead." The chimera replied, pretending that this was the first time they had had this conversation. “He’s alive.”

"I know he's alive, he punched me in the mouth remember?" Stiles, traced a finger along the tender skin, frowning, "And you didn't really react, you didn't lunge at him or anything. Makes me think-"

"That he's right?" Theo broke in, "That whatever lies he told you are the truth? Don’t you know that you’re only safe when you’re with me, Stiles? You think I’m being irrational or something?"

"No, Theo, I..." Stiles rubbed his eyes tiredly, feigning a mix of fear and tension. "Look, you and I both know Scott was acting like an asshole over Donovan, and I know the way he treated me pissed you off. If it was a mistake or a miscommunication between us, just, just tell me."

"Tell you what you want to hear, more like." Theo fired back.

“Don’t be unreasonable, Theo.”

“Unreasonable?!” The chimera exploded. “I’ve been nothing but reasonable with you, Stiles! Even after everything, having to put up with that excuse for an Alpha? Pretending to be a werewolf just to get to you…Yeah.”

“Yeah? Is that it? You’re not going to try and dodge anymore?”

“You told him about Donovan, even when I gave you the chance to let me take the fall.”

“Not really, Scott caught me off-guard. I didn’t intentionally tell him.”

"I guess we're all telling the truth now, Stiles." Theo muttered, glancing at him, smile playing about his lips. 

"And what is your truth, Theo?" The Alpha Chimera echoed the expression, his eyes locking with Theo’s.

"I'm a survivor, Stiles, and we're both realists; we both see what has to be done. Perhaps I'm the only one who's actually willing to do it though, you wanted Scott to suffer, and he is, you wanted him out of the way, and he is." Theo looked at the landing behind Stiles, and then back at the Alpha Chimera. Stiles smirked and nodded for him to continue. "I thought we were the same, but maybe I was wrong, maybe you're not as strong as I need you to be. Maybe I am better off alone."

"Theo, no, wait!" Stiles let his voice edge into panic. "Don't leave me! Scott, Melissa, they're just, it's, look, my Dad is dying and I don't know what to do. I need you right now."

"You're right Stiles, you do need me." Theo paused as the floorboards above Stiles creaked, and then he continued, “The things I saw in Lydia’s mind; the Dread Doctors are just the tip. I know what Parrish is, I know what’s coming. We shouldn't be divided Stiles, we need to stay together.”

"Scott says he'll forgive me for Donovan if I break up with you." Stiles said, letting his scent slip into pure nervousness, an easy one to fake.

"You think it'll be that easy?"

"No. I don't think it matters what I do. The choices I've made, the decisions I agreed with you on, they can't be unmade."

“True, but you can’t get rid of me that easily, Stiles.” Theo smirked at him, “I have information you need, information only I have. Lydia figured it all out; I saw it in her memories.”

"Right after you drove her out of her mind." Stiles fired back.

"Glory demands sacrifice, Stiles. You said that yourself. You said it yesterday." Theo pointed out with a shrug. "You knew there would be collateral damage after what I did. But if she's right about Parrish, then things are going to get a lot worse around here."

"I don't care." Stiles whispered.

"You should." Theo countered, "Because if your Dad does survive, he's not going to be Sheriff of anything for much longer." He pressed his fist into the palm of his other hand, giving Stiles the signal.

"What's happening to him?" Stiles demanded, his tone suddenly angry, even as his eyes faded back to their natural color.

“You’ll see.” Theo smirked and turned away. Stiles let out a shout and stood up, rushing forward, grabbing his arm. Theo shoved him back into the stairs, knocking him out. 

The chimera looked up as Scott came running down the stairs, jumping over Stiles’ prone body. He hadn’t shifted and Theo smirked at him. “What’s the matter Scott, losing your Alpha powers?”

Scott growled at him and charged forward, Theo took the hit this time and used the werewolf’s momentum to swing him out through the open door. Scott went sprawling onto the grass, while Theo moved back inside. He dipped a hand into the pine box and re-established the line of mountain ash across the door. Scott staggered upright and moved back towards them. Theo pointed down. “Tricked by the same thing twice in one day, tut, tut, Scott, losing your grip I think.” He stopped smiling and moved right up to the invisible barrier. "Stiles is _mine_ , Scott, don't you remember? I'm not letting you get him back!"

The werewolf was powerless and Theo slammed the door in his face. He waited for Scott leave, and moved over to the staircase, shaking Stiles gently. “Stiles, wake up, it’s ok, Stiles. He’s gone.”

“Ugh, ow.” Stiles rubbed the back of his head. “Did he buy it?”

“Oh yeah, I could smell the frustration, the anger, the weakness. He’s super focused on me.” Theo pulled him upright. “This better work, Stiles.”

“Just needs to work until my Dad is better.”

 

“So, I’ve been thinking,” Stiles started as they sat in his room. “The Beast could’ve easily ripped my Dad in two; the way the Highway Patrol guy was describing the scene. But the doctors were saying something about him being poisoned before I left.”

“Well, there is one chimera unaccounted for.” Theo pointed out. “We’ve never found him, or her, but we need to, otherwise the Beast situation just got a whole lot worse.” 

“What do you mean?”

“Imagine something as big and strong as the Hulk, only able to poison its victims too?” Theo pointed out, frowning as he saw Stiles’ eyes glow for a minute. “Or maybe you’d like that?”

“Uh, no.” Stiles shook his head, his eyes returning to normal. “We need to find this chimera. Where did you look?”

“I didn’t. I wasn’t there when he was made.” Theo shrugged, “I don’t know how to find him, Stiles, I never got this guy’s scent.”

“Guy…Of course!” Stiles declared triumphantly, “We're not looking for a missing chimera, we're looking for a missing teenager. We should review the missing teenagers in Beacon Hills to find him.” He stood up and gestured for Theo to pull out his crime board, moving over to the desk to turn on his laptop. Theo stared pointedly at his name in the middle of the Perspex board as Stiles flustered around. A moment later he glanced up at his boyfriend. "What?"

"You still haven't taken my name down." Theo sounded hurt, but Stiles could tell he was joking. However, the Alpha Chimera moved past him and cleaned his name from the board with a flourish. "There."

Theo grinned and pulled him close, kissing him carefully. Stiles enjoyed the moment, despite the initial spike of pain, but then he pushed Theo away, "Work first."

“Fine.” Theo sighed. “What are we comparing the missing cases to?”

“This.” Stiles handed him a sheet of paper. “Put it up, it’s a list of the genetic chimeras that I copied from my Dad’s office.”

“Nice.”

Stiles logged into the internal police servers using his Dad's password, accessing the most recent missing persons’ reports. "Ok, here's one, A call a few hours ago, about a sophomore from Beacon High who never came home last night."

"What's his name?"

"Noah Patrick."

Theo looked at the list of natural chimeras taped to the board. "There."

"We need to find him.” Stiles muttered.

Theo nodded as a thought occurred to him. “If we go to the school, we can trace his scent from his locker."

"You'll be able to do that?"

"With you on full power, even without the other chimeras, I can feel my senses heightened; stronger, faster, better."

"Good." He paused, glancing at Theo, “Just imagine what it’ll be like to have them all here!”

“There’s so much more to you though, more to unlock. The Dread Doctors want to see if they can tap into it.” Theo explained, “But that was before you got your….pack? Followers? Army? Have you decided what’s the best word?”

“I like followers…but pack is more accurate; we’re all chimeras, and they all call me Alpha.”

“Yes, they do.” Theo smiled, testing the word out loud. “Our pack, our chimera pack.”

“Let’s go.”

“Sure, I’ll be there in a minute.” Theo let Stiles go on ahead and then pulled out his phone. _You’re needed. Remember our deal? Time to start holding your end. Meet us at the school. Come alone._

 

Stiles looked around, making sure they were alone. “We’re clear. Do it.” 

Theo grabbed the lock and snapped it off. “Ok, let’s see, ah. Here.” He gestured at Noah’s pullover. “We can track his scent using this.” He tossed it up in the air and Malia caught it. 

Stiles turned to Malia, surprise in his voice, "You came? Why?"

She nodded at Theo wordlessly.

Stiles glared at him, "You called her?"

"We need all the help we can get Stiles, besides Malia and I have an understanding now; we'll help her when the time comes, and in return she'll help us, and keep your secret."

“Which one?”

“Both of them, Donovan and…” He bowed his head as Stiles sighed.

"You told her that too, huh?"

"He told me." Malia looked at him, clearly uncomfortable being there. But she asked anyway. "Is it true; are you a chimera?"

Theo felt Stiles glance at him, but he carefully avoided the gaze.

"Yeah, it's true." Stiles let his eyes turn purple for a moment and saw her reel backwards. "I am the Alpha Chimera; my abilities focus on the control of any chimera in my immediate range." He clarified, before turning things back on track. "So, what? You're going to sniff him out? I thought you said you could do it, Theo?"

"I can." _But this is just so much more fun!_ He shrugged, adding aloud. "But I figured we could use someone who has fought him before."

"At the hospital, last night, I know what he looks like." Malia explained, and pointed towards the parking lot. “We have to go there, start tracking him from where I lost him.”

 

“Over here.” Malia nodded at the crumbling factory on the outskirts of Beacon Hills as Theo pulled in. The rusted fence gave them no resistance, and she led the way inside towards a series of tunnels underneath the factory. Train tracks stretched into the darkness, concrete tunnels that didn’t look like they had seen much use since the last century. “He’s down there, following the tracks.”

“What is this place?” Theo asked as he jumped down onto the gravel between the tracks.

“It was an old munitions factory during World War Two, but I think it was abandoned in the sixties.” Stiles explained as he ran a hand along one of the walls. “My Dad used to be interested in this stuff, before, well, before werewolves became an actual thing.”

Theo moved ahead to walk along Malia. “I’m glad you came, this is the right choice, you’ll see.”

"I said I'd help find this kid, and I'm doing it to save Stiles' Dad, that's it Theo, I don't want to be a part of your...whatever with Stiles." Malia shot back stiffly. “It’s that way.”

"Fine. We'll stay all business then." Theo replied, beckoning Stiles to come follow them deeper into the tunnels.

“Here.” She pointed at an access tunnel off the main line. “Let’s go.” She ducked inside first, Theo followed her and Stiles brought up the rear. He felt his eyes automatically adjusting to the darkness. Stiles blinked, surprised, when Theo turned to check on him; it was as though his amber eyes were changing color. Then a moment later it had passed: yellow orbs in the darkness.

"I got it." She confirmed, striding forward. "I got his scent!"

 

Malia held up a hand. “Wait, the scents converge. He was here recently, very recently.”

“Yeah.” Theo moved towards a pipe that ran along one of the walls, spotting fresh blood. He dipped a finger into the blood pool, rubbing it between forefinger and thumb. "Tacky," He sniffed it and darted his tongue out to taste it, spitting out the minute amount as Stiles frowned at him. "It's Noah's. He was here, twenty minutes ago, maybe."

"This place is a warren, how are we going to find him in all these tunnels?" Stiles sighed.

"I think he's close. Relax, we'll find him."

"Relax? I-"

"Guys," Malia interrupted, "I think we've been down tunnels like this before; Scott and I, when we were looking for Liam and Hayden."

"So?"

"Maybe it means we're closer than we think. This could be the Dread Doctors' lab."

"Hah." Theo scoffed at her, "And what would you know about the Dread Doctors' lab?"

“Hey!” Stiles broke in, glaring at them both. “Cut it out! My Dad is dying up there, we need to find this chimera! I can almost feel him, he’s close.”

Theo nodded apologetically and they moved on.

This time it was Stiles who stopped them, eyes squeezed shut as he concentrated. Theo watched him carefully, as Malia looked around. The chimera struck fast, hoping to blitz attack them. Noah swung at Stiles, but Theo intercepted the attack and pushed him to the ground. The chimera struggled and Theo’s claws slid out, ready to strike.

“No!” Stiles commanded, his eyes shifting to a darker purple. Both chimera froze. “Stand.” The Alpha Chimera gestured for Theo to get up and stand beside him, his other hand pointing at Noah to remain on the ground. “Good. Now, you, kneel, and be Awakened!”

The boy clambered to his knees, face upturned, his motions stiff and forced. Stiles moved closer, and reached down, the tips of his fingers touching the chimera’s brow. His eyes flashed once, a deep purple fire, a corresponding echo of yellow in Noah’s eyes. "Command me, Alpha." He whispered. 

_I’m beginning to love those words!_ He smirked at Theo and glanced at Malia, her expression one of surprise. “Behold! The power of the Alpha Chimera!” Stiles held out his hands, and then turned back to Noah. “Where were you last night?”

“I don’t know.”

“You’re going to have to try harder than that.” Stiles stared at him, pinning him in place. “Where were you? Out by the highway, interstate, maybe?”

"I don't remember."

"You don't remember anything?" Stiles pressed.

"Not when it happens. Not when I change." Noah glanced at Theo, but the other chimera was glaring at him. “Nothing. I don’t know anything.”

“Damn it.” Stiles muttered, glancing at Theo and Malia. “If he doesn’t remember…”

"Then let us help him remember." Theo gave Stiles a wicked smile. He could see the conflict on Malia’s face; a mix of admiration and fear as Stiles used his Alpha Chimera powers in a way that Scott would never. “Shall we, Stiles?”

"Why? What did I do?" Noah asked, looking at him. “Alpha?”

"You clawed up my Dad half to death, ok? It's poisoning him, so you better start remembering every detail." Stiles' eyes burned harder. "Right now." He curled his hand into a fist, it wasn’t necessary, but the action helped him focus. “Show me your true self, chimera.” The Alpha Chimera whispered as he forced Noah to change, grimacing as the transformation wracked the boy’s body. The flesh stretched and tore as bony spikes pushed outwards, mercury collecting around the points where flesh and bone meet. The boy was screaming in pain, face scrunched up as Stiles pushed him to the limit. 

“Stiles! That’s enough, any more and he’ll break.” Theo moved over to touch his arm. “Ease off!”

“He hurt my Dad.” The Alpha Chimera muttered, but released his hold on the chimera, watching him slump down on all fours. “Your eyes don’t change, interesting.” Stiles knelt down, forcing the boy’s face up, studying how the eyes and cheeks seemed to sink into his skull, the blood flecks around his lips that he hadn’t noticed before. He raised his right hand and Noah mirrored the gesture. Stiles gestured at one of the spikes. “It’s broken, the edges ragged, he could have easily left something inside my Dad.”

“Of course, Fat Embolism Syndrome!” Theo whispered, he saw the blank faces and explained. “Basically, your own bone marrow attacks you after you break a bone. But here, the Sheriff might be affected by his broken bones. They need to get it out, or he’ll die.”

“You’re sure?” Stiles looked at him.

“Yeah, Stiles, I’ve spent the last seven years with the Dread Doctors, I know medicine.” Theo pointed out and turned to Malia, “Give me your phone.”

“But I-”

“Malia!” Stiles barked at her.

“Fine,” She handed it to him, grudgingly. 

Stiles dialled Melissa’s number, somehow managing to have cell service. “Melissa! It’s Stiles, I know, I’m sorry, but it’s an emergency…. You talked to Scott? I can’t really-”

“Enough.” Theo grabbed the phone from his hands, making sure Melissa heard his voice. Stiles nodded wordlessly, and Theo grinned. “Hi Melissa, it’s Theo. Oh, good you remember me! Well, I won’t take long, but we found what’s killing the Sheriff: Fat Embolism Syndrome. Have you heard of it?”

“Hurry up, Theo!” Stiles mouthed at him, as Malia looked between them, confused by their behaviour. 

“Oh, you don’t want to do it? Well, I suppose Stiles and I can come in and take the Sheriff out, the kitchen table will do in a pinch and I’ve seen the Dread Doctors operating on people enough times to estimate where the…” He trailed off as Melissa vented her frustration into his ear. Theo smirked at Stiles, seeing his boyfriend nod. “Or, you could fix him yourself, I’m pretty sure you want the Sheriff to live, and Stiles would be so upset if he died.” He listened for another few seconds, and then handed the phone back to Malia. “Done. They’ll do the surgery now.”

“Excellent work, Theo.” Stiles nodded approvingly. “Do you think they’ve bought it?”

“Absolutely, they think I’m the one controlling you.” He laughed at that, glancing at Malia. “You won’t say a word now, will you, Malia?”

“You’re twisted.” She breathed at him, turning to her friend, “Stiles, please, this isn’t you.”

“No, this is me.” The Alpha Chimera clenched his fist again, forcing Noah’s spikes to protrude further, a fresh wail of pain from him. “This is exactly who I am. I thought you’d like that?”

“I…I need to go.” She turned away, walked for a few feet, and then broke into a run. 

“She’ll be back, a reluctant ally, perhaps, but she’ll want our side of the deal.” Theo looked after her.

“Which is?” Stiles ignored the crying chimera at his feet. 

“The Desert Wolf.” Theo grinned at him, and then changed the subject. “So, what are you going to do with him? He’s pretty enough, if you like that sort of thing.”

“Bony? Hardly. Besides, we don’t need him.” The Alpha Chimera released his hold on the chimera, allowing his spikes to retract. Noah murmured his thanks. 

“The Dread Doctors will kill him anyway, if that Beast is truly their ultimate success, then they have no need for a spare chimera.” He looked up suddenly, the tell-tale rush of static energy across his skin, the hiss and crackle of it on the edge of his hearing. “They’re already here.”

Stiles looked down the other corridor, watching the approaching Doctors with less fear than he thought he would have. They stopped a few feet from him and Theo. 

The Surgeon stepped forward, pointing at Noah. “He is a failure.”

“We know.” Theo explained. “We were actually discussing what we should do.”

“Follow protocol.” The Pathologist gestured at the chimera.

“Protocol?” Stiles echoed, and then nodded. “You mean kill him?”

“There’s nothing we can do for him, Stiles.”

“We can give him a quick death, he doesn’t need to choke on his own blood.” The Alpha Chimera nodded at Theo. “Do it, slash his throat.” There was a whimper from Noah, and Stiles crouched down on his haunches, offering a grim smile. “Hey, Noah, I’m sorry to tell you, but you are…surplus to supply. Now lean back, you don’t feel pain anymore. That’s it.” Stiles shut down all the nerve receptors in the chimera’s body and nodded at Theo, moving away to avoid the arterial spurt. His boyfriend flicked out his claws and delivered the strike quickly, bathing his hand up to the elbow in blood. “Good.”

“Fascinating.” The Geneticist joined her colleagues closer to Stiles and Theo.

“Whom do you serve, Theo?” The Surgeon asked him, his words grating on his ears.

Theo glanced at Stiles, “I serve the Alpha Chimera.”

“Serve is a bit much,” Stiles protested, “We’re equals.”

“And your pack? Equal too?”

“Not exactly.”

“Excellent.” The Surgeon seemed pleased. “You have a greater purpose, Overmind, controlling these lesser chimeras is only a fraction of the true power at your disposal.” 

“What do you mean?” Stiles asked as Theo’s scent changed to excited. “Show me.”

“With great pleasure.” The Pathologist approached him, hand outstretched until it touched Stiles’ chest between both pectoral muscles. There was a sudden jolt and electricity sparked from the gloves, penetrating his skin. The Alpha Chimera spasmed suddenly, his arms stretching outwards, his head rolling back, eyes closed.

There was a strange sensation engulfing him, a tickling energy all around him, as lights exploded behind his closed eyes. His chest was tight, aching as the Overmind organ absorbed the electricity. The Pathologist pulled back after a minute and Stiles returned to his normal posture. He shook his head and opened his eyes. Stiles glanced at Theo, feeling something strain between them and then break. The chimera blinked and Stiles stumbled backwards. “What the hell?”

“What?”

“Your eyes are purple. What’s…” He trailed off, looking at his hands, his nails lengthening into claws, his mouth suddenly full with extra teeth, fangs sliding into place as though they had always been there. “Is this, are these your powers?”

“You did it!” Theo spoke excitedly, looking at the Pathologist, then grabbed Stiles’ arms. “The full potential of the Alpha Chimera, it’s unlocked, just wait until you try on the rest of the pack!”

Stiles blinked and slowly released Theo from his influence, feeling his claws recede, and the fangs disappear as though they had never been there. He felt the emptiness in his mouth, and looked at the Dread Doctors. “How? What did you do?”

“We adjusted your frequency.” The Surgeon replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Couple of things, first off the plot for this chapter gave me a hell of a headache, so there was a bit of a delay due to that. I was orginally going to try and steer back towards canon and get Stiles & Scott back as friends, but it doesn't really work when Theo doesn't betray him, so moving forward, I'll be mixing elements from the episodes with orginal content.
> 
> Second thing is the Parrish, Scott, Melissa scene where they talk about Stiles, Theo, and Lydia. I tried a few different styles, but the screenplay style ultimately worked best. And it is an important scene, so I felt it was needed, if reworked slightly.
> 
> Thirdly, welcome to Dark Stiles!


	12. Power Revealed

Theo was waiting for them when they returned that evening. He was sitting at the table, swirling soda in a glass slowly. They put down the bags of groceries and glanced at each other. The man was the one to approach him first. Theo’s hand froze and he lowered the glass to the surface. The chimera looked up, expression hard to determine, as a fire crackled ominously in the grate behind him. “The time has come.”

“What?”

“I said, the time has come.” Theo gestured vaguely. “Your task is complete, you are no longer required. The Doctors would dismiss you themselves, but they’re…busy.”

“You said-”

“I remember.” Theo stood up. “You’ll go free.”

“But, well, Theo, it’s more that you said that we wouldn’t remember.” The woman finally spoke up, placing her fingers on the edge of the table. “Anything.”

“Did I say that?” He replied softly, looking to one side distractedly. “Perhaps. Gather your things, you leave here tonight.” The chimera waited until they left, hurrying upstairs, and then he stood up. He could smell their excitement, their pulses elevating, hearing their whispered relief. _Make them forget? It would be easier to kill them, dump the bodies in the river or bury them in the forest. Who would know?_ Theo sighed to himself, everything felt so empty without Stiles near him. The Alpha Chimera had returned to the hospital alone to check on his father. As far as he could tell, Tracy had not taken advantage of his offered hospitality; the couch was unslept upon. He looked upwards sharply when a quickly muffled laugh came through the floor boards. Theo let his claws slide out, looking at them, turning his hand this way and that, remembering how Stiles had looked with werewolf features. _What will he look like when he takes on the others? What glorious final form will you take, my perfection? Is my bad mood the result of being away from you, Stiles?_ Theo frowned angrily, dropping back down into his seat.

They came downstairs several minutes later, dragging their suitcases along the floor. He watched them idly. When they reached the front door, he held up a hand. “Wait. You wanted to forget?”

“Yes!” The man nodded eagerly, before moderating his tone. “I meant, yes please, Theo.”

“Put your things into the car and then return here.” He ordered them with a wave of his hand, before getting up and walking over to the alcove under the stairs. The chimera pulled out a slim cloth covered folder and resumed his seat as they came back to stand in front of him. “Huh, I half expected you to run. Aren’t you afraid that I’ll just kill you?”

“What? But…But, you-”

“Enough. Your stuttering has been a constant grate on my nerves.” Theo replied, expression turning to disgust. “You don’t deserve death; you have served faithfully, and I finally have what I want; so you are no longer needed. Come here.” He beckoned them closer, standing up to unzip the folder. “The Dread Doctors would have done this by a less painful method, you’d probably wake up wherever they grabbed you from weeks ago. But since they’re so busy, we’ll do this a different way.” Theo held up a syringe in one hand, and took the phial from the folder in the other. “This is an advanced form of the drug known as propranolol, it will ensure you remember nothing. I will give you each a sufficient dose that thirty minutes after you receive it, you will have no memory of where you were, who you were with, or what you have done and seen in the last six months.” He began to draw the liquid out.

“Six months?” The man cried, alarmed. “But we weren’t with you for that long.”

“Would you prefer the more permanent solution?” Theo asked as he finished measuring out the first dose. “I thought not. Now, roll up your sleeves.”

Theo watched the two dazed humans drive off down the road. The house was finally his, the ridiculous pretence of pretending to be “normal” was over. _Perhaps I should have told them about the cardiac risks of such a large dosage? Oh well, they’ll be well out of town before the thirty-minute timer kicks in._ Theo smirked to himself and turned back inside. “All mine. As good a place as any to base the pack. Mountain ash encircled and wolfsbane in the walls.” He stopped in the middle of the living room, warming his hands on the fire. “Now all we need is our Alpha back. And back fully.”

 

“Yeah, he’s healing, but he’s just a human, Theo.” Stiles explained as his boyfriend leaned against the wall opposite him. They were outside his Dad’s room in the hospital, the corridor deserted. “I can’t just leave him yet.”

“Are you sure?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Stiles, I’m just saying that you’re not bound to other people’s expectations anymore.”

“He’s my Dad, Theo, I’m not risking something happening and not being here.” He sighed and paused, “But, you’re right, I suppose I’m staying because if I just leave, he’ll realise something is really wrong. For all I know, Melissa has already spoken to him. She’s the one who told me he had regained consciousness after all.”

“How was she with you?”

“She’s bought our deception.” Stiles nodded. “Very careful, gentle even.” 

“Good.” Theo smirked, “What should we do now?”

“I need to know where the others are; Tracy, Hayden, Josh, Corey. Find them, make sure they’re still loyal, and impress on them what will happen should they become…” He trailed off, looking at Theo.

“Disloyal?” The chimera’s grin got wider. “You bet.”

“Ah, here’s one now.” Stiles gestured towards the elevator. “It’s Tracy; following me perhaps?”

Theo turned and waved her over. “I invited her, thought you might need a bodyguard. She is quite good at that.”

“If I remember correctly, she’s more effective as a killer.” Stiles walked around her slowly, feeling his senses expand and sharpen. Her abilities were his too, if he wanted to take them, but the Alpha Chimera resisted the urge, looking back at Theo instead. “I’m still not convinced about bringing this one back.”

“Taking the Dread Doctors and the Beast down will require more than a good plan and a lucky break.” Theo replied, pointing at the silent chimera. “It’ll require action, violence, blood.”

“You’re right, Theo, but I want more than just weapons. I want chimeras that will do what is necessary on their own initiative.” Stiles smiled slowly as an idea occurred to him. “Tracy and Josh are the ideal candidates to be our frontline troops, but I want to make sure of their…commitment.”

“How?”

“Tracy here was quite the killing machine when she was asleep; even killed her own father, very impressive.” Stiles’ eyes glowed softly, “But, now that she’s awake, let’s see if that killer instinct is still inside. The driver from the prison van is alive. In fact, he’s two floors down; room 7C, a private room, nurses usually finish their rounds around now.”

Theo frowned and then nodded, a smile spreading across his features. “I like it.” He gestured at Tracy, “Come on.” The chimera nodded and followed him wordlessly. 

Stiles watched them disappear down the hallway and nodded slowly to himself. _The test is necessary, and the man is dying anyway._

 _Trying to justify it, Stiles?_ He stamped down on the dissenting voice and turned around, slipping back inside his father’s room. 

“Who was that?”

“Oh, just Theo.” Stiles replied, letting his expression slip back to normal. “He was checking in, asked how you were.”

“That was nice of him.” The Sheriff grimaced as he sat upright. “Ah! No, no, I’m alright.” He waved off Stiles’ hands. “With any luck, I’ll be out of here in a few days.”

“You need your rest, Dad.” Stiles replied, handing him a magazine. “Here, Theo brought this for you, um, in case you were bored.”

The Sheriff glanced at the cover, then back at Stiles, noticing that his son was avoiding his eyes. “Really? _Guns & Ammo_? Is he trying to send a message?”

“I just think he’s trying to be friendly. I mean, you’re a police officer, you have a gun…” Stiles trailed off shrugging. “He’s a nice guy once you get to know him, Dad.”

“Yeah, we’re gonna have, argh!” He broke off, as his face contorted in pain. 

Stiles stood up quickly, but his Dad waved him down. “What is it?”

“Just some after-effects of the car accident, don’t worry.” The Sheriff took a few deep breaths. “Stiles, we-”

“You need to get your rest. Go on,” He took the magazine from his father’s unresisting fingers, “I can read you the latest on, err, ten new, um, fighting pistols…huh.” Stiles smiled a little as he heard his Dad laugh quietly behind him. “Oh wow, there’s actually a lot here. Um, ok, here goes…”

 

Theo looked around the corner, spotting a nurse emerging from the driver’s room. He waited until she had walked across the hallway into a supply closet and then he moved forward, beckoning Tracy to follow him. It was the work of a moment to slip inside the room, the two chimeras unnoticed by the nurse finishing her rounds. The room was dark, the glow from the machines guided them towards the guard. Theo held up a hand, hearing the man’s pulse quicken. _He’s awake, good._ The chimeras stopped beside him, Tracy standing still, emotionless, as Theo examined the man carefully. His wounds were stitched back together, but the heart rate monitor indicated his life was failing, and the oxygen mask clutched to his face told Theo that he didn’t have long to live. _Still long enough to prove a point._ The beeping increased suddenly as the guard turned his head, eyes widening at the sight of Tracy standing over him. Theo smirked a little and reached down to push the remote away from the man’s struggling reach. "Looks like he remembers you." Theo murmured. "Do you remember him?"

Tracy remained silent.

"Stiles wants to make sure you're still as useful as you were, that we didn't make a mistake bringing you back. The Alpha will make great use of your special abilities," Theo gestured at the man. “Do you think you can…show me?”

"My Dad defended someone on Death Row once," She spoke softly, looking straight ahead. "I know how lethal injection works."

Theo watched as she reached up to the IV bag, claws already out and pierced the plastic. A drop of Kanima venom spilled inside as she continued to speak. "One of the drugs they use paralyses your diaphragm, makes it impossible to breathe." The venom suffused through the IV solution and Theo watched the inky liquid drip through the tube into the man’s arm.

Theo glanced at the man, his straggled breathing becoming more so as panic set in. It was a quick death, and not how he would have preferred. He was a little disappointed that she did not use her claws, but at least Tracy had proven her worth. 

"Satisfied?" She asked.

"Yes," Theo smirked, watching the man stop struggling, his heart rate flatlining. "The Alpha Chimera will be pleased." He looked back at the door. “Come on, we better get out of here before they come to check on him.” She nodded wordlessly and followed him out.

 

Stiles put down the magazine and glanced at his father, the Sheriff was asleep. “Yeah, I know the feeling.” He muttered, rubbing his eyes. There was a soft knock on the door and Stiles got up to open it. “Theo. Tracy’s gone?”

“Yeah, I sent her home, or at least, I let her leave.” He inclined his head and Stiles followed him out into the corridor. “You were right, it was a good idea.”

“Yeah, I’m not expecting that we’ll need the other three to prove themselves with a kill.” Stiles smiled at Theo, “Oh, don’t look so disappointed, I’m sure there’ll be another opportunity to dip your claws in blood.”

“Her methods are subtle, when they need to be. We’ve both seen what Tracy can be like when she really lets loose. And you can make her do whatever you want, remember?”

“Of course,” He looked down at his hands, “I’ll admit, I’m curious as to what other abilities I can mimic from the pack?”

“We need to make sure we have a pack.” Theo pulled Stiles a little closer, “When will you be back? I miss…I miss how I feel with you around, uh, powerful, I meant.” He felt an unfamiliar heat spread across his cheeks.

Stiles smirked at him, voice low. “Lonesome already, Theo? I’ll be with you soon. I need to clear the air with my Dad somehow. Then I will join you, I promise.”

“Ok.” The chimera reluctantly let Stiles move back towards the room. “I’ll find the rest of them.”

“Good.” Stiles watched as Theo walked away, his nose wrinkling as an unusual scent filled his nostrils. _Smells like…mint and honey? Weird._ He walked a little closer to the empty room beside his father’s, the smell increasing in potency. An eruption of coughing from his Dad made Stiles turn around, the strange scent forgotten. “Hey, hang on, let me get you a glass of water.”

 

His eyes flicked awake, his back was sore after falling asleep on the hospital chair yet again. Something had woken him, but Stiles couldn’t tell what it was. Rubbing his hands across his face, he sat up and looked over to check on his Dad. The bed was empty, covers pulled back, the door left open. Stiles frowned as the same smell hit him again, this time it seemed to be closer. _I know that scent, it’s so familiar…ah, hell, better find my Dad first._ He stood up, walking out into the deserted corridor, glancing left and right. He stopping searching when his eyes fell on the elevator, “I wonder…they got the bodies back from the Nemeton. And Donovan too, shit.” Stiles muttered to himself as he walked towards it.

The basement was equally empty, dim hallways deserted, with only the morgue lit. Stiles paused outside the heavy double doors, looking through the small windows at his father. The Sheriff was standing over a body shrouded in cloth, lying on a metal shelf. Stiles looked down, eyes just picking out Donovan’s name on the tag. _Ok, is he here because he’s a cop and he knows the truth? Or because he believed Theo’s lie and wanted to see the monster? Either way, and no matter what we tell him, the Sacrifice must not be revealed._ Stiles pushed his lips together and opened the mortuary door. His father looked up at him, expression difficult to read. Stiles walked inside, letting the door swing shut behind him, he stopped on the other side of Donovan's corpse.

"So," Stiles glanced up at his Dad. "You're obviously feeling better."

"Getting there." The Sheriff nodded. 

Silence stretched between them, until Stiles could stand it no longer. "I wonder why Parrish hasn't tried to get these bodies back to the Nemeton?"

“I don’t know. Maybe because it doesn’t matter anymore?”

“Or maybe he’s just waiting for the right time?” Stiles offered, reaching back to feel his not-yet-healed shoulder. Donovan’s face was covered, but Stiles could still see those monstrous teeth below him as he climbed the scaffolding, the madness in those white eyes. He took a deep breath, blinking as he realised his father was staring at him thoughtfully. “It can be hard to find the right time.”

"The story Theo told me about the library," The Sheriff started, "That's how it happened."

Stiles avoided his father's eyes, looking at his hands instead.

"Except it didn't happen to him."

Stiles closed his eyes and then opened them, looking up. "Yeah." He whispered, not wanting to deny it any longer. "He was trying to protect me."

“Theo?”

“He said he’d take the fall, that it would look bad for the Sheriff regardless of whether or not you did your job.” 

The Sheriff hesitated, nodding slowly. "He must love you a lot."

"Uh," Stiles frowned at him, taken aback. "Maybe?"

"He's willing to go to jail for you, Stiles, that’s the definition, as I see it.” The Sheriff shook his head. "But you're still my son, and I can't protect you if I don't know the truth." The Sheriff looked down. "Did you really feel that you couldn't tell me?"

"I couldn't tell anyone. Theo only found out because he was there, in the parking lot outside. He saw me, the blood, put it together."

"And he still became your boyfriend?" The Sheriff asked, smiling slightly. "Like I said-"

"Yeah, I heard you." Stiles broke in. "But what about Donovan? I killed him!"

"Did you think that I wouldn't believe that it was self-defense?"

"What if it wasn't?" _Ah, the truth. Carefully does it._ "What if I told you I wanted him dead?"

"I'd believe you." The Sheriff held his gaze. "But I also believe that wanting someone dead and murdering them are two very different things."

Stiles looked away, "Not to a judge."

"Then to hell with the judge, Stiles, it was self-defense! And I would destroy every shred of evidence to protect you if I had to. I would burn the whole Sheriff's Station to the ground." His father was staring at him intensely and Stiles nodded wordlessly.

There was more silence between them, but less tense this time. After a moment, Stiles gestured at Donovan’s body. “Better put him back.”

“Yeah.”

Together they pushed the dead chimera back into the freezer. Stiles glanced at his father curiously, "What about Kira?"

“Kira was a mistake.” He half-smiled, “I guess I'm learning how to bend.”

Stiles shook his head, "But, what about Theo? You're not angry at him, are you?"

"Melissa came to see me yesterday-when you went home. She said she didn't want to have another confrontation with you." The Sheriff looked at him expectantly. “Stiles?”

"Ah." Stiles turned away from him. His eyes darted towards the door, the familiar sensation of increased senses coming over him; the dripping of a leaky tap magnified, the labor in his Dad’s breathing behind him, and the scent of a chimera in the hallway beyond the two doors. He was certain now, it had been one of the chimeras in the corridor earlier and probably in his father’s room when he woke up, and now right outside. The same elements were there, but stronger, closer. The Alpha Chimera closed his eyes, focusing on analysing the scent, honey and lemon on a warm breeze, notes of mint, and a certain calmness that wasn’t present with the others. His eyes snapped open, _Corey? Why are you here?_

“Stiles?” His father’s words interrupted his thoughts. “Melissa is concerned.”

"This is about Scott." He turned back to face his Dad.

"It's more about Theo than it is about Scott, Stiles. Scott told her that you confronted him, Theo admitted trying to kill your best friend. And you’re still with him because?"

"It's complicated." Stiles muttered. 

"They're worried about you, Stiles, and from what Melissa described, I am too. Theo might-"

"It's not like that," Stiles interrupted him. He shook his head vigorously. "I'm not...I'm, fuck!"

"What's going on Stiles?"

“I’m not being controlled, Dad, don’t worry.” He gestured vaguely. “Scott and I had an argument, about Donovan, he acted like a dick, I made some off-hand comment about how Scott needed someone to teach him a lesson. Theo kinda took it literally. He’s a smart guy, he figured that pushing Liam into Scott on the supermoon would make them fight. I guess he got a little carried away.”

“Carried away?” The Sheriff echoed the words woodenly. “Is that what they’re calling a near-fatal wound to the chest and lungs now?”

“We all do things we regret, things we wish never happened.” Stiles let his gaze slip back to the closed door of the freezer. “I know I have. Can you really tell me there’s nothing you’d like another chance at?”

“We all have demons, Stiles, but they are seriously concerned about what Theo’s plans are, particularly for you.” He put a hand on one of his bandages, “No, no, I’m fine. Honestly, Stiles, I’m more worried about him being a chimera; mountain ash won’t protect you the same way as it would against a real supernatural.”

 _Real? We are real!_ Stiles kept his outwards expression calm, even as his mind boiled in rage underneath. Corey’s scent was all around him, giving him the strength of will to remain balanced, the Alpha Chimera could feel his other ability just out of reach; the chimera wasn’t close enough to mimic it. “Dad, I don’t need to be protected from Theo. Besides,” He gestured at where Donovan was now lying. “I dealt with him. He had bigger teeth, and a worse attitude.”

“Not helping, Stiles.”

“Theo did a stupid thing when he attacked Scott, but he did it because of me.”

“Do you really believe that, Stiles?”

“I do.” He shrugged. “I know you don’t understand, but the way this town is turning, I need someone who can protect me and is willing to do it. I’m not asking you to approve, I’m just asking you to give him a second chance.”

“I suppose everything he has done has been to protect you, in some way.” The Sheriff replied slowly, reluctantly agreeing with him. “Just don’t expect me have him over for steak on Sunday.”

“Oh, you don’t know? He only eats the flesh and blood of his victims.” Stiles remained straight-faced as his father stared at him. Eventually the Sheriff clipped him across the ear and moved toward the doors. “Ow! Hey!”

“Don’t test me, Stiles,” His Dad turned to him with a slightly forced grin, “I now know which is the best pistol to shoot you with!”

Stiles smirked at that and followed his Dad back to his room. “You need to rest.” The Alpha Chimera watched his father fall asleep, waiting until he was sure the man had dropped off. “Are you there, Corey? You can come out, I’m not angry.” There was no movement in the room, and Stiles frowned to himself. _Hmm, weird. Why was he here?_ After a quick glance at his father and Stiles was back on his feet, grabbing his jacket and slipping out the door.

 

Theo pulled in at the side of the gas station opposite the hospital, waiting for Stiles to climb in. “Hi.”

“Hey. Thanks for getting me.”

“No problem, I was in the area.” Theo pulled out again, adjusting the heater as Stiles rubbed his hands together. “You cold?”

“Just a bit, no clouds tonight.” He thanked Theo and nodded at him, “So, what are you doing out here? Going clubbing without me?”

“Kinda,” Theo smirked at him, “Josh called me. He’s in Sinema.”

“Oh, good. I could do with meeting another of the pack.”

“Did someone come visit you?” Theo frowned, glancing at him.

“No,” Stiles lied easily, “I just meant it would be good to see the other…violent one.”

“Right.” 

Stiles nodded as Theo talked, unsure of why he hadn’t said anything about Corey following him around. Perhaps it was instinct that made him avoid it; he knew Theo had a possessive streak a mile wide. _No point in igniting that powder keg. Besides, I never actually saw Corey, even if he smelt fucking delicious…_ Stiles shook his head, looking back at Theo, feeling a smile spread across his face.

“What?”

“Nothing, you’re just really handsome right now.”

“Thanks.” Theo smirked a little and pointed. “We’re here.” 

“Oh, I can hear it.” Stiles bobbed his head in time to the pounding bass that leaked out from the club. “Sounds pretty awesome in there. So, what did Josh want?”

"He said he was trying to get drunk."

"That's not going to happen." Stiles replied. _Electricity, maybe?_ He frowned, "Hang on, on the roof, before you killed him, he was eating the power cables."

"So?"

"Do you have jumper cables?" Stiles looked at Theo with a grin. He saw a slow smile spread across his boyfriend's face. 

"In the back." He popped the hood. "I'll get them."

They waited outside, Theo having texted Josh to come out of the club. As the chimera approached them, Stiles could already smell his frustration. "How much did you take, Josh?" He called out.

“A lot, Alpha.” He added the title as an afterthought. “But I don't feel a thing.”

"You won't; your body heals too fast."

"Yeah, well maybe you should have left me dead."

"That can be arranged." Theo growled, taking a step forward.

"Easy, Theo." Stiles put a hand on his boyfriend's arm. "We're here to help you, Josh, show you that it's not all bad. We have a little something here that will make you _feel_ again." He gestured for Theo to move forward. “Something that will feel even better than booze or pills or whatever you were trying to take.”

Theo walked up to Josh, holding the jumper cables up in front of him. “Hold these.”

The chimera did so, confusion twisting his expression. "What are you doing?"

"Giving you what you want." Stiles smiled darkly, waiting for Theo to return to the engine compartment. The chimera looked at him for confirmation, and seeing his boyfriend nod, attached the other cable to the battery, the engine idling behind him.

Electricity sparked out of the ends of the cables clutched by Josh, his face illuminated by the blue energy arcing off his hands. Stiles watched with a cold smile as the chimera was forced to turn into his true form; large crooked teeth filled his mouth and his eyes began to glow. Theo laughed, his tone high and musical. Stiles closed his eyes for a moment, letting the feelings of the two chimeras around overwhelm him; unparalleled joy swamping him. When he opened his eyes, they were blazing purple orbs. He approached Josh as Theo watched him, his amusement fading into seriousness. Stiles stopped in front of Josh. It was easier again than the last time, and he felt the additional powers rushing around him. Stiles held out a hand and lightning arced outwards, scorching one of the parked cars. Josh gaped at him in surprise.

“Wha…?”

"Yeah, this what the Alpha Chimera looks like!" Stiles grinned, letting sparks arc off his hands onto the tarmac as he held them out. Theo laughed again. The Alpha Chimera turned back and looked into Josh's eyes, now purple to match his own. “Let’s crank it up, shall we? Show me more!” He clenched his fist as electricity crackled around it, Josh roared as more energy was forced into him. Stiles laughed coldly, and looked back at Theo, curious to see if he could mimic more than one chimera at a time. His boyfriend's eyes glowed yellow once then turned to purple. Stiles looked at his hands, nails lengthening into claws, as lightning rippled across his fingers. “Now this is power!”

Theo watched them with a smile lingering around his lips. He felt his cock harden as Stiles-the Alpha Chimera-looked his way again; lips parted, fangs jutting out, backlit by a shower of blue electricity. _Hottest thing I’ve ever seen, I want him right now!_ Theo swallowed hard as Stiles moved around to stand beside him again, hearing the cruel, disturbing laugh the Alpha Chimera gave before he released them both. He blinked, and looked over his shoulder as a sound came from behind them. Theo smirked when he saw Liam watching them from behind a parked car. _How much have you seen, wolf? Enough to realise that you picked the wrong side?_

“What is it?” Stiles barked at him.

“Nothing.” Theo lied, “Just a raccoon.”

“Turn up the power, I like seeing his eyes burn!” Stiles laughed again, his own glowing orbs turned a darker shade by the cascading shower of sparks.

 

“Still no Tracy, then?” Stiles asked as he sat down on Theo’s couch. He accepted the offered can of soda.

“No.” He shrugged, joining Stiles. “I don’t know where she goes. She just turns up when we need her. Maybe it’s some sort of inbuilt gift.”

“I’ve been thinking,” Stiles paused, taking a sip, as Theo nodded.

“Yeah?”

“When Jackson was the Kanima, he went into a sort of metamorphosis, a final stage before becoming, I don’t know, the ultimate Kanima shape, I guess.”

“And you think Tracy is evolving? Chimeras don’t evolve, Stiles.” Theo reminded him.

“I know, I’m simply wondering why the Dread Doctors didn’t make her into her full form?” Stiles rolled his head back onto the cushion, “Are wings hard to do?”

“Wings?”

“Yeah, it had wings.” Stiles shook his head, “Never mind, we’ll make do.” Theo laughed gently at him, moving closer until they were touching. “Your parents out tonight? It’s kinda late.”

“No, they’re gone.”

“Gone?”

“Yeah, this evening, I released them from their service.” Theo gestured grandly with his free hand. “They are gone.”

“That sounds permanent.” Stiles glanced at him. “Are they dead?”

“Don’t think so, they drove outta here a few hours ago, a little dazed. I gave them something to make them forget.” Theo explained. He smiled, “Your lair is ready for you, Alpha.”

“My ‘lair’?”

“Yeah, every Alpha needs a hideout!”

“That sounds better.” Stiles sat up, frowning at him. “Wait, you’re serious?”

“Yeah, it’s protected; circles of mountain ash around it, wolfsbane in the walls. No supernatural creature will willingly come here. Face it Stiles, we need a place to meet, make plans, recover, if things go bad.” 

“Hmm, maybe you’re right.” Stiles leaned in and kissed him on the lips. “Thanks Theo.”

“They’d served their purpose; the Doctors would have got rid of them soon enough anyway.” He shrugged. “I doubt they’d have been so generous as to let them have their lives. My way was better; less messy. Blood is a nightmare to get out of the carpets!”

“Stop talking,” Stiles covered his eyes, groaning, “You’re only making it worse…”

“Yeah, yeah.” Theo looked at him, before grabbing a nearby cushion and bashing Stiles with it.

“Oof! Hey!” Stiles shook his head and glared at him, before reaching for the one behind him and hitting Theo back. The chimera tried to dodge out of the way, and Stiles jumped on top of him. “Gottcha! You think you can escape from the Alpha Chimera?! Greatest of all! Bringer of-” Stiles was interrupted as Theo managed to flip him over and pinned his arms against the floor, half on the couch, half off. 

“You were saying?” Theo asked, smirking.

“Finish it then!”

“If you insist, o bringer of, uh, what was it again?” He laughed and pulled Stiles back up, wrapping his hands around his waist and crushing his lips against his own.

 

Stiles left Theo asleep and pulled on his trousers and t-shirt, moving over to his boyfriend’s laptop. He thought for a moment and then typed in the address for the Sheriff Station’s internal server. “Good.” He muttered, as new files appeared in front of him. “Two dead in suspected drug overdose car wreck, uh oh…Hold on, an attack at a telecom sub-station?” He clicked into the file, reading the report. “The Beast!” Stiles hit play on a video that was attached to the file. “Holy shit! Theo! Wake up.” He called over his shoulder, replaying the video.

“What?” The chimera rubbed sleep from his eyes as he stumbled over to Stiles, shirtless. “What is it?”

“The Beast.” He pointed at the image frozen on the screen. “See? And here, it says that Deputy Clark was the responding officer, that she had ‘a minor relative’ in the car with her at the time.”

“Hayden.” Theo muttered. “So, that’s where she’s been.”

“She’s the only one other than Corey we haven’t heard from since the resurrection.” Stiles replied grimly. “That needs to be fixed. I need all five, Theo.”

“She’ll come, Stiles. I promise.”

“Good.” He nodded, turning to look at Theo. “It’s better that you go alone.”

“And where will you be?”

“Waiting. I’ll take your laptop, if you don’t mind, go through the rest of this footage, see what I can make of it.” Stiles waited for Theo to nod, and then continued. “We still need to talk to Corey. If anyone is going to be struggling, it’ll be him.”

“He was eager before, I’m sure he will be again.” Theo smirked at him as Stiles frowned.

“I suppose. Being invisible, sorry, camouflaged, has its perks.” 

Theo nodded. “I’ll go put some pants on and then coffee. Do you know where Hayden and Corey are, or where they’ll be?”

“Hayden is probably still with her sister. Go the Sheriff’s Station, there’s a rear door you can get in.” Stiles stood up, stretching. “As for Corey, I’ll figure it out, I can sense them, all the chimeras, but once I concentrate, I’ll be able to focus in on him.” 

“Alright.” Theo smiled at him, “You can borrow a t-shirt or pullover if you want.”

“Thanks, I’ll check in with my Dad before we go.”

 

He leaned on the bars, his sleeves pulled up, metal cool against his skin. “Hayden.” He whispered softly. “Hayden.” _So this is where they kept Parrish. Repaired the doors pretty quickly._ Theo smiled slightly as he heard the chimera approach.

"You shouldn't be here."

"Why not?" He replied. "My record's spotless!" Theo smirked and kept looking into the cell as he continued to talk. "Are you going to tell me what you saw last night?"

“Last night?”

“Yes, last night,” He turned to glare at her. “Don’t play games with me, Hayden, your werewolf boytoy might enjoy that, but I am on a schedule.”

"It was big, dark, glowing eyes, monstrous claws." She shook her head. “I couldn’t really get a good look, it was really fast.”

"So, it is the Beast." Theo pressed his lips together, frowning. "Have you told anyone else?"

"I didn't think you'd want me to." Hayden replied meekly.

"You're right." Theo looked her, noticing the way she avoided his eyes. "The Alpha isn't very happy with you, you know? It's why I came and he didn't. You can be part of something very special, Hayden. Or you can be an inconvenience."

Her eyes shot up at that. "What?"

"You heard what he said at the Nemeton, Stiles will do whatever it takes to defeat our enemies, and destroy anyone who gets in our way." He looked her over, his lips twitching to a smile. “Anyone, anything, any chimera.”

"I... I understand."

"Good." He flashed her a grin. "Look, that thing out there is going to kill a lot of people, but it's not going to kill us, not if we're together; with the combined power of the chimeras and the Alpha, we're better than any werewolf! Stiles has a plan, trust me, trust him."

Hayden pulled out her phone, frowning at the screen. "It's my sister, I have to go."

"Anything else you want to tell me?"

She looked at him once and then blinked away, "Not really."

He nodded silently, and then his arm shot out to grab her before she left. "I don't want this to sound like a warning, and I definitely don't want it to sound like a threat, but you can't hide anything from me, Hayden." He waited until she looked at him again. "Remember that."

She looked at his hand and he released her with a smirk, watching her leave. _She’s going to be trouble._ Theo left the way he had come in, spotting Stiles in the truck, a triumphant grin on the Alpha Chimera’s face.

 

“What are you so happy about?” Theo asked as he climbed into his truck.

“I figured something out. Well, two things.” Stiles gestured for him to start driving. “Corey is at the school, the library to be exact. Not sure what he’s doing there, but there was a group on Facebook set up to organise a cleaning of the library after the, the supermoon incident.”

“Ok, let’s go.”

“Yeah, they’ll be finishing shortly, anyway so, we can grab him there.” Stiles opened the screen on the laptop. “The big thing, though, is that I’ve been running through security footage from the telecom attack, trying to discover whatever I can about the Beast.”

“And?”

“For twenty-four hours before the attack, no one comes in or out. Then the attack happens and three people, things, whatever, come out.” He paused, waiting for Theo to see it. The chimera just looked at him blankly. “Only two people went in; Clark and the Telecom guy.”

“So, the Beast came from somewhere else? Somewhere inside?” Theo replied slowly as he parked in the near empty school lot. A few students loitered at the door. 

“Exactly, it’s what Malia was saying when we found Noah; that the Beast could be using the tunnels that run under Beacon Hills, whether the emergency flood drains, or the old supply tunnels from when the town was a World War Two transit hub."

"It doesn't exactly help us find it though."

"No," Stiles sighed. "We need more information. Do the Doctors have a plan for this or am I just meant to know?"

"I don't-" Theo broke off, nodding towards the entrance of the school. "They're leaving, we should go in now."

 

Theo followed Stiles inside, looking left and then right. The hallways were deserted and he was about to speak when Stiles held up a hand.

"You don't have to hide from us, Corey." The Alpha Chimera called out softly. “I don’t want to hurt you, neither of us do. Come on out, now.”

"Hi." The chimera became visible, pressed up against a nearby locker, swallowing nervously as he looked between them.

"Hello." Stiles tilted his head, studying Corey’s face. _Oh, yeah, he’s a cute one._ "Why are you here?"

"I was trying to do something nice."

"Something nice?" Theo echoed back, smirking. "More like you were trying to do something normal. But you don't have to be normal."

"Not when you're extraordinary." Stiles moved closer to him, catching his wide-eyed stare. "You don't have to be nice either."

"I'm not going to hurt them." Corey replied sullenly, his face darkening.

"No, I suppose not." Stiles grinned at Theo, placing his hands on Corey's shoulders. "I don't want you to, in fact they don't know it yet, but we're going to protect them. That's what you want, isn't it?"

Corey nodded silently.

"Excellent, you know, you were the first one resurrected." Stiles grinned again. "Because I knew you were special." _In more ways than the obvious._ His eyes flicked down Corey’s body and then back up to the chimera’s uncertain gaze. “You can trust me, Corey, you can trust us. I resurrected you for a reason.”

 _You resurrected?_ Theo felt a flare of jealousy fire through his chest, Corey's eyes darted towards him, but Stiles didn't seem to notice. _You have got to be kidding me. How can Stiles not smell that? It’s fucking pouring off him!_ Theo’s hands curled into fists, but he plunged them into his pockets to avoid Stiles seeing.

"Err." Corey stuttered, pink tongue darting out to wet his lips as his eyes returned to lock onto Stiles’.

"No, no, no need to thank me." Stiles glanced back at Theo, before returning to look at Corey, squeezing his shoulder a little tighter than necessary. He smiled. "I'll protect you, Corey, as I protect all my chimeras, who remain loyal."

"Loyal?" He whispered, eyes widening again.

"Loyal." Stiles confirmed, leaning in to whisper into Corey’s ear, his hand moving across to touch the chimera’s neck. “But I don’t think I’ll have to worry about that with you, my guardian angel, will I?”

“No, Stiles.” Corey whispered back.

Theo ground his teeth together as Stiles lingered a little too long with his lips near Corey’s neck, hearing only the muted whisper of their conversation, the exact details lost to him. _What are you talking about? Come on Stiles, get away from him, it’d almost be a pity to rip him open…_ After a moment, Stiles pulled back and Theo exhaled, his claws sliding back, and he glanced at his boyfriend. The Alpha Chimera simply smiled mysteriously at him.

“But enough standing around here, come on.” He lowered his hand to Corey's back and used it to gently turn him around and steer him towards the door. Stiles smirked to himself as Theo followed them out; he could almost hear the chimera’s possessiveness. _Really, Theo? Sure, he’s cute, he’s young, he’s got some sweet power, but you really think I’d drop you for him? Hehe, this will be an interesting pack dynamic!_

 

Stiles frowned as soon as he saw Scott’s bike propped up against the doorway to the telecom sub-station. “Damn it, we’ve got company.”

Theo looked up as he locked the truck, leaving it on the side of the entrance road. “Scott?”

“Yeah.” Stiles frowned, “He’s alone though; no Beta, no Malia.”

“She is on our side, kinda.”

“Well, she’s not helping him.” Stiles scratched his chin. “I need all the chimeras. Get Josh and Hayden down here. Tracy has been following us since the school.”

“What?” Corey flinched as the Kanima emerged from the trees.

“It’s alright, Corey, she’s with us.” Stiles reassured him, feeling Theo’s glare. “We go in as a group. He’s still an Alpha werewolf.”

“Josh is ten minutes out, no reply from Hayden.” Theo walked up to him. “Are you sure? If he sees us…”

“I know.” Stiles glanced at him. “Let him see us.”

Theo grinned, “Good.”

“We might as well go in, see if we can’t figure out where the Beast came from.” Stiles raised a hand and directed them forward, the heady feeling of three chimeras swamped over him. He moistened his lips in anticipation of confronting Scott with his new powers, of showing his former friend just what he had given up when he rejected the Alpha Chimera.

 

They searched the debris of the sub-station’s lower level, until Stiles stopped by the blood stain. “The worker was killed here. And a werewolf passed by recently, he tried to lift this panel, failed and pushed it to one side.”

Theo blinked, surprised. “You got all that from the blood?”

“The disturbances. Can’t you feel it?” Stiles frowned, and looked at him. “Now that Josh has joined us, I can see, I can feel on an order I’ve never done before. Scott dropped down that hatch, let’s go. Quietly.” He ordered them, as they walked over to the tunnel entrance. “Josh, Tracy, go down first, ensure there are no traps, but do not attack the werewolf.” They nodded, silently jumping through the hatch. “Ok, Corey, you next.”

"Down there?" Corey asked uncertainly.

"Yeah." Theo replied as Stiles watched them. "You scared?"

"No." He muttered defensively.

"Good. You go next." Theo watched the younger chimera descend, and then dropped down after him. 

Stiles rolled his eyes and followed his boyfriend into the darkness, his gaze a bright purple. The Alpha Chimera reached into his pocket for a black light, before he paused, realizing he could see the Beast's blood trail without it. "This way." The floor was awash with mercury, either the chimera was bleeding heavily or it was dripping from him naturally. They walked a little way down the tunnel, stopping when they come to a large circular offshoot. "Hmm. There's writing here."

"I don't see it."

"Try now." Stiles glanced back at them; their eyes the color of his own. “Josh, Tracy, any sign of Scott?”

“No, he was here.”

“He could’ve gone deeper.” 

“Stay out of sight.” Stiles looked back at the floor as he shared his enhanced vision with Theo and Corey. “Now?”

"Wow!" Corey muttered. "Cool."

Stiles chuckled to himself as Theo knelt beside the words. "Do you know what it means?"

"It looks like Latin." Theo replied. "Better get a picture of it." He pulled out his phone as Corey moved to stand between them. "Done. Now we just need..." He trailed off as he realised Stiles had gone very still. "Stiles?"

"He's here."

"The Beast?"

"Scott. Down that tunnel; fifty feet, closing fast." The Alpha Chimera's eyes flashed once. "Josh, Tracy, take him out," He held up a hand. "Unconscious only, do not kill him."

They growled their understanding and moved down the tunnel to intercept. 

"Are we leaving?" Theo asked as he stood up.

"No. I'm not hiding anymore." Stiles turned around, waiting for Scott to come, his arms folded as Theo pulled Corey to stand in front of him. “It’s time to show Scott the power of the chimeras.”

"Can you feel them?"

"I can feel them. I can feel everything." _Attack._

 

Tracy swung wildly, hitting nothing but air as Scott moved backwards.

 _Go Josh._ The thoughts were calm, cold, rational, as Stiles directed his chimeras to attack Scott. An arc of lightning from down the corridor signalled the chimera had engaged the werewolf.

"Do you think they're strong enough?" Theo asked, looking at him.

"This is a good test, and Scott is injured." He paused as he felt a part of his influence wane. "Of course, they could just be inept: Josh has gone down. Move forward!"

Tracy was thrown backwards as Scott turned, growling towards the other tunnels, expecting Theo.

"Ok." Stiles called out as he emerged from the tunnel entrance, his eyes normal. "Maybe they're not ready to take on an Alpha just yet. Hello Scott."

"Stiles?"

The confusion on his face was enough to make the Alpha Chimera laugh. "It's me. Surprise!"

"I don't understand." Scott looked from him to Theo.

"How about now?" He let his eyes turn from brown to purple, seeing Scott stumble backwards. "I'm a chimera, Scott. I’d almost be upset that you didn't notice the changes, but then you haven't been paying attention to me for a long time."

"Who, what?"

"These," Stiles gestured at Josh, Corey, and Tracy, "are my pack. We're one short; she _is_ developing a habit of missing pack events. We'll have to rectify that." He said to Theo. His boyfriend smiled and nodded as Stiles continued. "You shouldn't be here Scott, this...matter no longer concerns you."

"They're dead, Stiles! They were dead...what did you do?"

"I found some new friends, ones who are loyal, even if it is sometimes forced." He smirked, and gestured at Corey and Tracy to pick up Josh, dragging him off to one side. "Things could have been different, if you had just understood. But you didn't, so here we are." He gestured emptily. "You're going to leave here thinking that you need to worry about me, about us, but you're wrong." He looked at Theo. “Explain it to him, Theo.”

"We're actually on the same side, Scott." The chimera smirked, joining Stiles as they slowly circled around towards the other three. "Because that thing up there is what we should be worried about."

"I know you, Scott," Stiles added. "I know you won't let this go, you can’t. So, just don't get in our way and you might actually have a pack left to rebuild." He turned to leave, but then paused, looking back. "Oh, one final thing, I'm pretty sure that neither of us know enough about the Beast to take it on just yet, so we're going to go back to school, back to being normal teenagers during the day. And doing what is necessary at night."

"Stiles?" 

“What is it, Scott?”

“There has to be some way we can fix this, this can’t be the end!” Scott pleaded with him, red eyes locking onto purple.

“Sure, it’s not the end.” Stiles smirked. “In fact, I might even consider an alliance between us.”

“You will?” Theo looked at him sharply.

“But first, I would need some concessions, you know, someone as powerful as me can’t just join any failing Alpha.” Stiles grinned darkly, “First, you’ll have to kneel, on all fours, like the dog you are!”

Theo laughed, as Scott shook his head slowly, “Stiles…”

“And then, and this one will be easier, since you kinda already offered it to me. I want Liam, for, let’s say a night. All mine, to do with him whatever I want to. Delicious!” Stiles chuckled at that, the sound sending chills down Theo’s spine. “No response, Scott? Well, I suppose our alliance is out then.”

“Stiles, please, this isn’t you.” Scott reached out before pulling back as Tracy bared her fangs at him. “Stiles, I, what can I say to bring you back?”

“Nothing.” He paused, looking down. “You know, if this had happened before Theo was here, or if he had never come here, then maybe there would be something you could do. But it could only be you, Scott, no one else.” He looked the werewolf up and down, raising a brow when Scott blinked.

“Really?”

“Well finally, it only took four years and chimera conversion!” Stiles laughed, nodding, “Yeah. I used to be in love with you, Scott.”

“But, all that about Liam, what you said about him, I don’t get it.”

“Sure, I’d have dated Liam, if he was interested, I definitely would have fooled around with him; he’s hot, he’s young, that anger he’s got is kind of a turn on.” Stiles smirked at the chimeras around him, looking back at Scott. “What is it they say? Oh yeah, young, hung, and full of cum!”

“I, I don’t know what to say.” Scott looked away, cheeks burning.

“Oh, come now Scott, don’t be embarrassed, Liam can take that as a compliment. But, I guess the real reason that I wanted him, was because the Beta version was close enough to real thing. At least as close as I was going to get.”

“Wow, ok. I mean, I love you like a brother but I can never-”

“I know.” Stiles finished, and reached out to grab Theo’s hand. “That’s why I’m with Theo.”

“Ok, ok, if Theo is making you do whatever it is you’re doing…” 

“Theo?” Stiles dropped his boyfriend’s hand. “You still don’t get it, Scott!” His eyes burned brightly, the chimeras around him echoing him; five sets of purple embers flaring in the darkness. Scott’s jaw slackened. Stiles looked around him, then fixed on Scott, shouting. “Kneel!” 

As one the chimeras fell to their knees, a sickening crunch of bone on concrete. But they were silent, staring dutifully ahead, awaiting the next command. Scott looked at them, then slowly raised his gaze to meet Stiles’ eyes.

“Now, Scott, now you will understand.” His eyes blazed like miniature suns. “I am the Alpha Chimera! I am in control! They obey me, as will the Beast! And I am greater than all of you!” He looked at Scott, one hand raised upwards, long werewolf claws dripping Kanima venom as lightning arced around his fingers. “I am your only chance at stopping the Beast.” 

“I…”

“Speechless, well, what else?” The Alpha Chimera turned to leave, _Get up_ , he thought savagely, his chimeras rising and slowly falling into line behind him, Scott’s final words echoing down the tunnel after him.

“Stiles? I’ll save you Stiles! Even if you don’t want to be saved!”

 _I don’t._

The Alpha Chimera walked onwards, the purple eyed chimeras following him numbly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so I've been sick most of this week, hence the slightly shorter chapter than normal, but I thought the episode it was based on was less eventful too. I think this chapter is more intense, and it lays some of the ground work for other conflicts! And I'm kinda in love with the ending, hope you enjoyed it too.


	13. Power Play

Stiles warmed his hands in front of the fire, glancing behind him as Theo and Josh finished setting up the chairs in a half circle around him. Tracy was in the kitchen, pouring drinks from the sound of it. He smiled to himself; it was almost normal. _Well, the fire on a night like tonight is a bit much, but Theo did say that I’m better able to control the chimeras when I sweat more. “Fill the air with bio-chemical agents”, were his exact words, but who cares? It is hot in here! Going for that cult vibe with no lights, and plenty of shadows, huh? Hmm, fitting, I wonder can I make them worship me?_ Stiles let his thoughts drift as they waited for Corey and Hayden. The Alpha Chimera caught Theo’s eye and beckoned him over.

“What is it?”

“Before the others get here, I need to ask you a question.”

“Yeah?” Theo frowned at him, “Is something wrong?”

“Maybe, I’m not sure.” He sat down on the chair nearest the fire. “When we were fighting Scott last night, there was a phrase written on the floor near where he was standing.”

“Yeah, I saw it.”

“Do you remember what it was?”

“Damnatio Memoriae, it’s Latin.” Theo shrugged, “The Dread Doctors left it there for the Beast to find, it’s not really for us.”

“Hmm.” Stiles looked into the fire, embers reflected in his purple eyes. “What does it mean?”

“I don’t know the exact translation, I just know that the Beast is different, a different type of chimera.”

“Different how?”

“Well for starters, it’s more animal than human, we’re assuming that it’s male, but we don’t know for sure. The one thing the Doctors said to me the last time I met them was that the Beast required guidance, that they needed to show it what to do.” Theo gestured at the other two chimeras behind him. “Normal chimeras just wake up, they can use all their abilities, but they can still go to school and behave like regular humans.”

“Uh huh.” Stiles looked at him, _Tracy went nuts and killed everyone in sight, Josh tried to suck the power from the hospital, Corey and Hayden both bled to death…normal, yeah, sure, Theo._ Aloud, he asked, “What are you saying, Theo?”

“That they might have only used the chimera to create the monster and then they’ll discard the teenager after they have the Beast.”

“If that’s true, why did they even create me?”

“Well,” Theo hesitated, “the only reason they made you into the Overmind is because they found a DNA marker left by the Nogitsune. This makes you an exceptionally rare chimera, they thought you had the best chance of accepting the Overmind implant. Otherwise, they would have turned you into a regular chimera, and you’d have bled to death by now.”

“Oh.” Stiles looked down, glancing at Theo when his boyfriend touched his cheek.

“Hey, you’re special, Stiles, and not just because of what you are, or your Alpha Chimera abilities.” Theo smiled genuinely at him. “You’re special because you’re you.”

“Thanks, Theo.” Stiles reached up to take the chimera’s hand in his own. “So, the Doctors made the Beast first, but are hoping that I can control it?”

“That makes sense. If you can get to it while it’s still the chimera, you might be able to gain control over it.”

“Enough to stop it.” Stiles added, glancing meaningfully at Josh and Tracy nearby. _Don’t give it all away, Theo!_

“Err, yeah, of course. You immobilise it, we can kill it.”

“Then we must act fast.” Stiles frowned, turning towards the door. “Corey is here, and…yes, Hayden is behind him. Theo, any time we’ve encountered the Beast has been at night.”

“Right. Tracy is good at tracking.” Theo replied quietly as the door opened. “Corey, Hayden.”

“Hey guys.”

“Corey, good to see you.” Stiles stood, offering the younger chimera a smile. “And Hayden, we meet again! I was beginning to think we’d only brought three chimeras back to life.” He chuckled darkly and gestured for them to take a seat. Hayden looked at him warily, sitting next to Theo and Tracy. Stiles closed his eyes, breathing in deeply as their scents swirled around the room. _Finally, all here together. I feel complete, powerful, ready. And this is only the beginning!_ He stood in front of the fire, looking around at them. “So, now that we are all here, I believe you have some news for us, Hayden?”

“Yeah, I was speaking to Liam after school,” She avoided his intense gaze. “Scott wants to get his pack back together, even without you, Stiles. He’s gone to find Kira.”

“Where?”

“New Mexico. He took his bike.”

“Well, that’ll be pretty cosy.” Theo smirked as she frowned at him, “And where will he put Kira when he finds her?”

“Unless he went alone.” Stiles muttered. “Liam didn’t go with him?”

"No."

"Hmm, the Alpha doesn't trust his Beta." Stiles nodded, "Excellent, he is vulnerable."

"Are you going to hurt him?" Hayden asked, alarmed, but Stiles smiled slowly, the expression causing a shiver to run across her skin.

"No, not Liam. Keep talking to him, he may yet prove useful. As for Scott rebuilding his pack, he'll still have to start slowly, there’s not…" The Alpha Chimera stopped speaking as an idea struck him. “Without Scott to interfere, we can operate in the open, for a few days at least.” Stiles dismissed their curious looks with a wave of his hand. “Everything will be revealed soon enough, but first there’s a small matter that we must deal with.” He smirked at Theo. “We needed the full pack to take on Scott, Hayden, and I needed your power to give to the others, isn’t that right, Theo?”

“Right.” Theo leapt up, moving to stand beside him. “Stiles won’t just mimic your power, he’ll make you stronger, make all of us stronger.”

“And when you weren’t there, it hurt us, made us less effective.” 

“So? No one said that I was your slave!” Hayden burst out.

“Slave?” Stiles repeated slowly, shaking his head. “No, not slave.” He turned away, and reached out mentally, connecting with them all, gathering their abilities to him as though they were strands of rope he pulled together. The Alpha Chimera opened his glowing purple eyes, seeing them reflected back at him, their powers swirling around him, senses as sharp as any werewolf, claws of almost transparent silver like a Kanima, the creature’s venom dripping from the tips. His mouth was full of fangs and enlarged teeth, as electricity siphoned from Josh rippled across his torso. Stiles touched the granite mantle behind him and heard the gasps as his body vanished, camouflaged by Corey’s chameleon abilities. The Alpha Chimera turned back to Hayden, visible again. “You still belong to me! You are mine to use! And you will do what I say.”

“Screw you, Stiles!” She spat at him, shaking her head defiantly.

Stiles bowed his head momentarily, before roaring at her, the sound terrible and deep, as powerful as he had heard Scott’s growl. He snarled wordlessly at her, seeing Corey flinch backwards out of the corner of his eye, Theo grinning openly at the sudden spike in heart beats around the room. “Do you understand now? When I call for you, you come, that’s it, no excuses, no delays, you just come.” He finished slowly, deliberately until she nodded at him. “Good. But I still think you could do with a little reinforced learning.” The Alpha Chimera smiled cruelly, his eyes narrowing at he stared at Hayden. _Turn._

“Argh!” She let out a gasp as the shift was forced upon her by Stiles.

A harsh smile played around his lips as he repeated what he did to Noah in the tunnels; pulling her claws out until they hurt, her teeth enlarged to the point where her jaw ached. Stiles watched her suffering coldly, until he felt Theo touch his hand carefully. “Enough.” He released his influence over her, moving down to offer his hand. “I protect those who are loyal, and punish those who are not.” She accepted his hand, looking behind him at Theo as Stiles returned to stand in front of them. “Remember that, Hayden, the next time you put yourself or your boyfriend in front of the needs of the pack.” He gestured for her to return to where she had been sitting. Stiles frowned, looking at the chair Theo had left for him. _I need a better chair, or elevated, maybe a dais? Maybe even a throne?_ Stiles smirked and nodded to himself. “You had news Theo?” 

 

Hayden was the first to leave, speaking only to Theo, before she hurried off into the night. Stiles stood beside the door, watching her leave. _Hmm, what is she up to? Her interest in Liam could prove useful, but I’m not sure how far she can be trusted._ He nodded as Josh slipped past him, muttering. “Good night.” Stiles sighed, turning back into the living room to see Corey moving the chairs back into their positions.

“Thanks, Corey. You’re the only one left, huh?”

“Um, yeah.” He nodded, putting down the last chair. “Well, I saw Theo go out back.”

“He’s probably telling Tracy what we need from her.” 

“Oh, right, um.” He bit his lip, looking at the floor.

“You understand that Hayden put us all in danger by not showing up yesterday, you know that, right?” Stiles asked as he moved closer to him. 

“Yeah, I’m sure you know what’s best.”

“I do.” He replied simply, folding his arms. “But, you should know that I reward success, just as much as I punish transgressions. And, all chimeras aren’t born equal, either.”

Corey frowned at Stiles’ sudden grin. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, that I hope I can trust you to always be loyal.” Stiles stood in front of him, meeting his gaze. “Because loyalty has its own rewards, Corey.” He smirked when he saw the teenager swallow hard, the familiar scent filling the air between them. “Excellent.”

“Uh, I should be going. Biology homework.” He muttered, tearing his eyes away from Stiles’ captivating gaze. Stiles nodded and stepped aside, walking with him to the door. Corey paused as they went into the warm night, looking over at the Jeep parked on the driveway. “Is that yours?”

"Yeah, busted up pretty bad, but it's working, most of the time." He shrugged. “Trying to get it patched up whenever I have a few moments.”

"Oh, uh, cool." The chimera turned away and Stiles smirked at him. 

“Do you know anything about cars, Corey? The radiator is leaking a bit. You want to give me a hand?" 

"Oh, sure! Yeah!" He replied a little too eagerly.

Stiles smiled at him, gesturing towards Theo as his boyfriend reappeared from the back garden. "Theo, do you want-"

"I'm busy." He replied shortly.

"Ok." _Gotta love that jealous streak! Let’s see if we can’t push his buttons a little more._ Stiles glanced back at the house when Theo closed the door with a bang.

 

The moon was covered by clouds and Stiles handed Corey a lamp to hold while he pushed up the hood. The chimera gave it back to him and Stiles hung it so that the light shone down on the engine. Corey peered inside, and Stiles laughed as he caught the chimera’s expression. “Yeah, it’s a mess in there, but this baby has been with me for all our adventures, no way am I giving up on him now.”

“Him?”

“Roscoe.” Stiles shrugged. “That is a long story.”

“What are those black bits?”

“Oh, duct tape.” He glanced at Corey, smirking, “It was a stop-gap repair that became easier than taking it in to the mechanic.”

“What happened?”

“Parrish and his flaming fist happened.” Stiles explained as he pulled out his toolbox. “Punched Theo out cold, and flipped the Jeep when I was still inside.”

“Fuck.”

“Yeah, so the engine got busted, everything in the compartment got wrecked. Mechanic wanted to scrap it, but I said no, it’s more than it’s worth to fix it, but-”

“It’s your car.” Corey finished for him.

“Right.” Stiles grinned at him, hearing the skipped beat of the chimera’s heart. He gestured for Corey to stand closer to him. “Ok, so, you can see here that the radiator is cracked; there’s coolant spilling all down the front of the chassis. I need to get at that bit there.” He pointed deep into the engine.

“Um, ok.”

Stiles began to work, pulling rusted components out one at a time, looking at them quizzically and then handing them to Corey to hold or put down on newspaper spread across Theo's driveway. It was messy work, oil and dirt covering his hands and bare arms as he moved deeper into the engine. “Here, take this. Careful, it’s dirty.” He handed Corey the busted fan and stood back up, reaching for a wrench. “So, you’re afraid of Theo.”

“What? No!” Corey spluttered, taken off-guard by Stiles’ comment.

The Alpha Chimera glanced at him, “Uh huh, well it’s either that or you’re into him.”

“Huh?”

“Your pulse spikes, heart beats faster, and I’m still getting used to the scent differences, but you always smell nervous around him, so if you’re not afraid…” Stiles trailed off, reached inside the engine to loosen the screws around a bracket. “Corey?”

“Yeah, ok, I’m afraid of him.”

“Well, don’t be. Theo can be intense, and jealous, but once you get to know him, he’s really quite nice.” 

“Uh huh.”

“You sound like you don’t believe me, Corey.”

“Err, it’s just…I know he’s your boyfriend, but-”

“But?” Stiles looked at him, catching his breath after being hunched over for so long. “But he kills people, right?”

“Yeah.” Corey replied, avoiding Stiles’ eyes.

“I handled Hayden myself because I wanted you all to see that I can, and that I will do what is necessary.” He picked up a new fan, waiting until Corey looked at him directly. “But I didn’t enjoy it. Theo knows the Dread Doctors, he knows what they’re up to, he understands that there is no right or wrong to what we’re doing, only survival. You stay with us; me and Theo, and we will protect you, I will make sure you _never_ die again.” Corey swallowed hard, his eyes locked onto Stiles. The Alpha Chimera was the first to look away, bending back down to attach the fan to the radiator. “Hand me that wrench, will you. Thanks.” _He is totally staring at your ass, right now, you realize that?_ Stiles smirked as the thought flashed across his mind. _Someone other than Theo? I’m shocked, still the chimeras are too important to fuck over, now if it was Liam, or even Scott? Oh yeah, thanks for the image of Scott ploughing me on the hood again, I really needed that while Corey is eying me up!_ Stiles coughed, reaching back to take the offered tool and began to tighten the bolts holding the fan in place. He noticed that Corey’s eyes had become fixed onto his flexing bicep as he pulled the wrench around in half-circular motions. “So, I seem to remember, before your death, that you had a thing for a guy in your grade, right?”

“What? Oh, Mason.”

“Mason? I know him, hangs around with Liam.” Stiles grunted as he tightened a bolt. “You ask him out yet?”

“Yesterday, at the library.”

“How did it go?”

“We had lunch today.” Corey turned around, leaning on the fender, “It was weird. I mean, he’s really hot, and I really like him. I think he likes me too.”

“So, what’s the issue?”

“He didn’t say, but I think he, um, just has questions, you know about the resurrection, Theo, you.”

“Ah.” Stiles looked at him, elbow deep in the Jeep. “Look, you should go for it, when there’s mutual attraction you gotta go for it. Mason is smart, knows about the supernatural; he’s a good match for you. And you can tell him that he’s more than welcome to join us, see for himself that we’re not the monsters he needs to be afraid of.”

“Err, yeah, maybe on a day you don’t have to punish Hayden?” Corey offered him a smile as Stiles looked up.

“Heh, I guess you’re right.” He looked back down. “Ok, I think we’re good.” Stiles stood up, wiping his brow with one hand, leaving a dark smudge of oil across his skin.

Corey’s eyes flicked upwards and he moistened his lips, “Uh, you’ve got…” He pointed at his own forehead, then made a half motion to clean it off.

“Stiles. Corey.” Theo appeared behind him and the younger chimera jumped, colliding with the front of the Jeep. 

“Ow!”

“All fixed?” Theo looked at Stiles, his expression hard to read.

“Yeah, I think so. Water pump was replaced earlier, and Corey helped me put in the new fan.”

“Did he?”

“Yup.” _You glorious, delicious, jealous fuck!_ Stiles smirked at his boyfriend. “We’ll test it, yeah?”

“Sure.” Theo moved to stand closer to Stiles, effectively blocking Corey from looking at him. “By the way, Tracy has the scent, she thinks the Beast will be at the school if it keeps its current path.”

Stiles cleaned his hands on a rag, nodding as he listened to Theo. “Ok, Corey, will you grab the rest of the tools from the engine?”

“Sure.”

“Great, thanks.” He moved around to the open driver’s door and waited until Corey had stood clear. “Here goes.” Stiles turned the key and the engine roared into life. “Hell yeah!”

Theo looked at Corey wordlessly as Stiles checked the revs. _What’s he up to? Why is Stiles playing around with this guy?_ The younger chimera looked at his feet, passing a wrench from one hand to another. The air was filled with nerves and tension, and the strong scent of desire. Theo frowned, unable to discern if it was all from Corey or not.

The Alpha Chimera came back around, leaving the engine idling. He reached up to pull the lamp down as Theo closed the hood for him. “Thanks.”

"Stiles? We should go now." Theo insisted.

“Yeah, I’ll be with you in a minute.” Stiles waited until Theo huffed and got into the Jeep. He knew that his boyfriend would still be able to hear him, however. “Corey, go home, think about what I said about Mason, and remember-”

“Loyalty is rewarded.” Corey repeated back to him, smiling. “I’ll remember, Stiles.”

“Good. I’ll see you at school tomorrow.”

 

Stiles backed out of Theo’s driveway, waving to Corey as he set off in the opposite direction. His boyfriend was silent, sullen, his bad mood filling the air between them. Stiles smirked at him. “You ok, Theo?”

“I’m fine.”

“Yeah, right.”

“Stiles, you-”

“You really think I’d dump you for him?” Stiles broke in, brow raised. “Seriously, Theo, he’s got a schoolboy crush, I’m not going to do anything about it.”

“Huh.”

“You don’t believe me?” Stiles looked at him, but Theo kept staring out of the side window. 

“He’s cute.” The chimera admitted, finally glancing at Stiles. “I can see why you’d want him.”

“I don’t.”

“Then why did you…”

“Just making sure you’re paying attention to me.” Stiles winked at Theo, seeing his expression change from upset to confused to anger.

“You…What?!” He glared at Stiles. “Of course, I’m paying attention to you! I love-” He broke off, as the words spilled out.

“Theo?”

The chimera closed his eyes, _Shit._

“Theo? C’mon, talk to me.” Stiles slowed down, reaching over to take Theo’s hand in his own. 

“I’m a jealous person, Stiles, ok? I can’t help that. When I see the way Corey acts around you and then when you hang out with him, I thought…” He trailed off, looking at Stiles. “If you’re not interested in him, then why did you ask him to help with the car? You could do that yourself.”

“Yeah, I could’ve.” Stiles replied, shrugging. “Each of them needs something different: Tracy needs to kill, let her loose and she’ll do damage, Josh just wants to get high, no matter what he has to do to get his fix. Hayden is in love with Liam, that makes her unpredictable, but also very controllable. And Corey, he’s gentle, good, kind, exactly what I wouldn’t have expected from a chimera based on the others. He needs someone to reflect that back at him.” Stiles took a breath, seeing Theo nod slowly. “So, if I have to be the mass murderer for Tracy and the benevolent king for Corey, I’ll do it. Because no matter their needs, they all give me power. And what gives _me_ power, Theo, gives _us_ power. We will be together, always.” He said the final sentence firmly, his glance towards Theo in time to see the chimera’s eyes widen. “You might be afraid to say it, but I’m not. I love you Theo Raeken, and we’re gonna get it all: power, strength, and the Beast, one way or another.”

Theo didn’t know how to respond to that, so he let comfortable silence fill the air. There was a rattle from the backseat and he turned around, finding it full of coolant bottles. “Um, Stiles?”

“Ok, so the Jeep’s not completely there.” The Alpha Chimera looked in the mirror. “It's a minor leak. Tiny, you wouldn't even notice!” Stiles held up his thumb and forefinger to demonstrate.

Theo turned back stare at him blankly.

"I got them at cost, ok? Damn..." Stiles muttered. “And we’re here, so stop poking holes in my confidence of the Jeep working perfectly.”

“Delusion, more like.” Theo whispered beneath his breath, ducking Stiles’ death stare.

 

Theo nodded at Tracy as she joined them between two school buses. “It’s here?”

“Yes, I tracked it to…” She broke off, looking around. Theo frowned at her, about to speak as she held up a hand. “Over there.”

Theo glanced in the direction she pointed at, seeing a shadow detach itself from the nearby storage shed. It moved rapidly, indistinct, jumping over the parked buses and into the school, busting through the doors as if they were made of tissue paper.

“Fuck!” Stiles exclaimed, skidding to a halt as Theo grabbed the back of his t-shirt. “Hey!”

“No way am I letting you chase that thing down.” 

"Did you see it?" Tracy panted, slowing to catch her breath.

"It was too fast." Theo muttered.

"Is it here?"

"Yeah." Stiles whispered, closing his eyes, suddenly calm. "It's here. Keep your distance." He flicked his eyes open again. _Continue._

"How are we meant to kill it?"

"We're not." Stiles replied shortly.

"We're not catching it, either." Theo added. "Only observing for now." He glanced at Stiles, seeing the Alpha Chimera incline his head. _Stick to the plan, eh? Fine by me, we’ll capture it later, see if it can be tamed, bend it to Stiles’ will._ They looked through the open doors of the school as a terrible roar echoed around them. “Let’s go.” Theo led the way inside, moving through the deserted hallways until he stopped at an intersection. Stiles glanced at him as Tracy looked around slowly for their target.

“What is it?”

"Damnatio Memoriae. Again, the message from the tunnels, scrawled on the walls."

"I don't see it. Hang on." Stiles looked at Theo, watching as his boyfriend’s eyes turned from yellow to purple. “Ah. I see it now.” The werewolf sight was strange, almost like infra-red, Stiles released the ability, shaking his head to clear his vision. “Ugh, do you see like that all the time?” 

“Only at night or in darkness, it’s normal during the day.” Theo looked at him, concerned. “Are you ok?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. What are they trying to tell him though?”

"They’re trying to get it to remember who it was." Theo replied. “Like I said earlier, the Doctors needed a body because they couldn't just resurrect the Beast out of thin air. The kid underneath, whoever it is, is just a side-effect. All the Doctors care about is the Beast."

"So, what happens when it does remember?" Tracy asked as she moved to join them.

"I'm not sure. The thing probably doesn't even know it turns back to being human during the day." Theo shrugged. “It’s the Beast at night, and a normal teenager the rest of the time. It might need to be Awakened by the Alpha Chimera, but do we really want to do that?”

“Not right now.” Stiles looked from side to side. “Something feels off about this. Damnatio Memoriae…find out anymore while I was fixing the Jeep?”

“I had a look, ancient Roman practice, used to destroy the images of the damned; scratched their names off inscriptions, chiselled their faces off statues. The Romans believed it was a punishment worse than death.”

"To be forgotten." Stiles whispered. “And it has been forgotten, hasn’t it?”

“The practice was used in Europe in the Middle Ages, on the worst of the worst; killers, rapists, heretics, that sort of thing.” Theo continued, glancing at his phone for reference. 

"So, the Dread Doctors resurrected a killer so bad, he literally had to be erased from history." The Alpha Chimera replied thoughtfully. “I’m beginning to see the problem.”

"That it’s a killer that became a werewolf? Yeah, that’s a problem."

"Which probably made him a better killer." Stiles frowned at the locker where the message was scrawled across. _So, if it’s a werewolf inside a chimera, is it really a chimera at all? Maybe I can’t control it. And if I can’t, do we really have a strong enough pack to kill it?_

“Stiles?” Theo lowered his voice, “There’s something up ahead.”

“Ok, go.”

 

Tracy took the lead this time, Theo following her, and Stiles bringing up the rear. The Beast was howling again, but when they rounded a corner, they came face to face with the Dread Doctors. Stiles blinked, stopping suddenly as Theo flicked his claws out, crouching in front of him protectively. Tracy moved to attack, Stiles didn’t stop her, curious to see if she would be successful.

The Pathologist stood in her way and Tracy snarled, slashing her hand across his mask. The attack glanced off and he stared at her as she blinked, confused. He knocked her over with an effortless punch and the chimera tumbled backwards into the lockers, the air escaping her lungs in a rush, collapsing into unconsciousness.

Stiles sighed. _Stop._ “It’s alright, Theo.” He said aloud, the chimera straightening as Stiles moved around him to the one Theo called the Surgeon, the leader. “Hi.” 

"Leave." The Surgeon hissed at him. 

"Where is it?"

"Why did you come here?"

“Because I want to see what should be mine.”

“Yours?” The Doctor’s tone arched in surprise.

“I am the Alpha Chimera, I control them all, I can mimic them all, all at once if I need to, and I want what is mine.” Stiles nodded at the hallway behind them echoing with distant roars. “The Beast, it’s a chimera. I'm meant to control it.”

“Perhaps.”

“No perhaps, I am. That’s what I’m for,” Stiles replied confidently, gesturing at Theo. “Just as Theo is _meant_ to protect me, I’m _meant_ to have a pack of chimeras who obey me. And in case you’re worried, there’ll be plenty for you to do once I have the Beast.”

Theo frowned at him, hearing this part of the plan for the first time. But Stiles didn’t elaborate.

“So, tell me, what do I need to do to control it?”

“All will be revealed in time.” The Surgeon looked between them. “We are preparing Beast for its role, just as you must be prepared to control it. Use your new abilities, harness your chimera pack, and then you will be ready.”

“Yeah, that’s fine and well, but I want more.”

“More what?” The Pathologist turned towards him.

“More power, more chimeras, more abilities!” Stiles smiled darkly as he curled his clawed fingers towards each other, “I want them all!” 

“Very well,” The Surgeon seemed to consider him for a moment before turning away, “Come forth, Beast, and see the one who will call himself your master!”

Stiles felt his stomach clench nervously as the Beast rounded the far corner, coming towards them. There was a severed head clutched in its claws, each footstep a stomp that shook the glass doors of the trophy case beside him. Its eyes were burning white pits, snorting and growling with every breath. He glanced back at Theo, as Tracy staggered to her feet. His boyfriend looked scared, an expression that Stiles had never seen before, “Theo?”

“I’m fine.” His face hardened again, all signs of weakness expunged. 

The Surgeon glanced at him, and Stiles followed the Doctor as they approached the Beast. “It is still an animal in its mind, its movements. There is much to be done.”

“Does it need to be Awakened?” Stiles asked, staring at the Beast’s burning eyes.

“In time, perhaps.”

They stopped a few feet in front of it. Stiles looked up through the swirling black fog that seemed to surround it. "Magnificent." The Alpha Chimera whispered, feeling a tendril of the power that he could have if he controlled the Beast. _It is rightfully mine. A little taste wouldn’t hurt…_ Stiles reached out with his hand, just short of the Beast, feeling the monster’s other-worldly abilities creep into him. The Beast pulled back suddenly, as though sensing what he was doing, and snarled at him. The Surgeon pushed him backwards forcefully, Stiles tripping over and falling onto the floor. 

The Beast roared furiously, deafening them. Stiles’ face contorted in agony as the sound drilled into his head, before he felt Theo hug him tight, pushing his face into his chest, using his hands to cover his boyfriend’s ears. The lockers shook around them as the glass trophy case shattered and spilled onto the floor. 

Theo helped Stiles stand up when the noise subsided. He winced, dabbing his fingers against his neck, following the stream of blood back up to his ears. Stiles was speaking to him, sound slowly returning.

“…I said, can you hear me?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’ll heal.” Theo looked down the hallway; the Doctors and the Beast were both gone.

 

They were waiting for him when he entered the lab. “I was expected then?”

“We have been waiting, many nights we have waited.” The Geneticist approached him, looking him over. “We are…relieved.”

“That I still serve you?”

“Of course,” The Surgeon walked around the empty operating table. “But why have you returned now?”

“I need answers, the Alpha Chimera needs answers.”

“He got them tonight.”

“Some.” Theo picked up a bone saw, casually pricking his fingers with the teeth. “But not the big one. Is the Beast a chimera, or just a werewolf in disguise?”

“So, you have seen the messages?”

“I have. And we worked them out.” He looked at the Surgeon. “I want to know if this has all been a distraction; Stiles, the resurrection, the failed chimeras? What’s the real plan? You owe me that much.”

“Perhaps.” The Geneticist agreed. “Shall we?”

“Yes.” The Pathologist nodded slowly.

“Agreed.” The Surgeon held out his hand, gesturing for Theo to follow them. “Here, we chose this location for a reason.”

“Fuck.” Theo muttered as he looked at the fresco painted into one of the walls, hidden behind the tiles. “That’s the Beast, and that…”

“Is the Hellhound.” The Surgeon finished for him. “Do not despair, Theo, protect the Overmind, his time will come.”

The chimera nodded to himself, “Yeah. I’m sure it will.” He moved to leave, but the Surgeon’s arm shot out, leather glove gripping Theo tightly. “Remember your purpose, and your place, Stiles may see you as an equal, but the Overmind does not.”

“What?”

“I’m sure you’ve noticed it by now.” The Geneticist replied. “All of our previous iterations of the Overmind were failures, yes, but not all died on the table. Their power grows with each chimera in proximity to them, but each one takes a little more of their humanity.”

“He gets crueller when we’re together as a pack.” Theo responded slowly, thinking of how Stiles punished Hayden earlier. “And then he’s himself when there’s only one or two of us.”

“The Overmind does not make him evil.” The Pathologist caught his gaze. “It simply enables the chimera to do what he wants, feel what he wants, say what he wants. Stiles wants power, he has always wanted power, but he has never said it, probably never even admitted it. The Overmind has set him free.”

“So, I’m just another source of power to him?” Theo asked the Surgeon.

“Perhaps.” There was a touch of humour in the Doctor’s voice, but before Theo could respond, the Doctors turned as one and vanished from sight.

“Great.” He muttered, putting the bone saw back down. Theo paused when he saw a dead crow on a gurney nearby, the bird triggering a cascade of images to rush through his mind: his first night in Beacon Hills, the older chimera and his lightning-blue claws stealing the power from Scott, stealing his…werewolf power. Theo blinked as he looked around the lab. _They destroyed the body, I remember, but the Geneticist said to save the claws, they were worth something in trade. Trade for…C’mon Theo, think!_ He glared at a stack of papers, moving forward to rifle through them. “Ok, ok, so the Doctors trade parts for parts, or access to bloodlines,” He muttered to himself as he looked through the carefully kept notes. “And…here! Yes, the claws were traded for were-coyote blood and a vial of rattlesnake venom from…hmm, ah, the Desert Wolf!” Theo looked up, a sudden grin spreading across his face. 

 

Stiles shut his locker, and reattached the lock as Theo spoke softly to Hayden, smoothing things over about the previous night. _It’s suspicious, if I didn’t know he was gay, I’d be worried. But if he isn’t into her like that, then why the interest? I should probably trust him, but what if-_ His thoughts were interrupted as a familiar scent reached him. Stiles glanced up to see Liam and Mason stopped in the middle of the hallway, staring at Theo and Hayden. _Oh, jealous too?_ He followed Liam’s gaze towards Theo, seeing Hayden becoming uncomfortable. Stiles tilted his head as he heard Mason say that Scott told Liam to do nothing.

"I know." The Beta replied through gritted teeth.

Stiles glanced at Theo, seeing his boyfriend looking up, smirk playing about his lips as he watched Liam. Hayden was speaking to him quietly enough that Stiles couldn’t hear her. But then, his attention was fixed on Liam.

"Liam, you said you weren't going to get involved." Mason urged his friend to leave, but he refused.

"I know." Liam replied tersely.

The Alpha Chimera looked away from the werewolf and towards Theo, seeing his boyfriend had now leant against the row of lockers, the sun hitting him just right. Stiles groaned softly, _So damn hot!_ Theo’s eyes flicked towards him, before diverting to stare at Liam, a smirk playing around his lips.

"Liam, Don’t. Get. Involved." Mason spoke slowly, moving in front of his friend to get his attention, emphasising each word. Stiles savoured the moment, almost drunk on the emotions in the air. Theo let Hayden go, shooting Liam a parting smirk, before turning to open his own locker.

“Hey Stiles!”

“Corey.” He knew who it was before turning, the chirpy, upbeat tone was hard to mistake. “You ok?”

“Yeah, you?” He didn’t wait for Stiles to reply, instead asking, “Did you guys find what you were looking for last night?”

“Yeah, sort of.” Stiles shrugged. “I’ll tell you more about it later tonight. Jeep’s working great by the way, thanks for your help.” He grinned and punched Corey on the shoulder lightly.

“Oh, great.” The chimera beamed at him, before frowning and turning to look over his shoulder. He moved out of Theo’s way quickly.

“Theo.” Stiles nodded at him. “Talked with Hayden?”

“Yeah, it’s cool.” He looked at Corey, smirking a little as he pulled Stiles close and kissed him hard. _Mine!_

“Mmph! Alright, alright!” Stiles laughed and pushed him back, seeing Corey blush and look at his feet, turning away.

“I got Biology, see you later.”

“See you.” Stiles waited until he was certain Corey was out of earshot, looking at Theo. “I’m not complaining, but did you have to make it that obvious?”

“Hey, he just wants to get into your pants!” Theo protested as they walked slowly towards Math class. 

“Well, who can blame him?” Stiles winked at him and Theo rolled his eyes, reaching forward to hug Stiles to him, mock-growling a little. 

“Grr!” He let go as the teacher looked at them over her glasses.

“Really, boys? It’s eight a.m. on a Tuesday...”

Theo smirked and sat down, pulling out his books as she handed out the assignments. 

“Not bad, Theo, but you need to keep working on it.”

“Right.”

“And Scott, oh.” She looked at Stiles, “Where is Scott McCall?”

“How should I know?” Stiles shrugged.

“I would advise you not to take that tone with me again, Mr Stilinski, unless you’d like to spend the afternoon in detention.”

Theo looked at his boyfriend, seeing his jaw tighten. _Oh, shit, come on Stiles, I know it’s boring when you feel like you can just do what you want, but hold it together._

Stiles straightened up, moistening his lips. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Flemming.” He replied, sounding like he meant the opposite. “I don’t know where Scott is.”

“Ok then,” She moved along the rows, stopping again in front of another empty desk. “And Lydia Martin isn’t in class today either.”

"Oh, she won't be in for a while." Stiles spoke in an ominous tone, glancing at the seat. "Medical issues." He added when they all stared at him.

“Very well. If you could turn to page three hundred and five…”

Stiles let the words wash over him, ignoring the class as he doodled in the side of his copy book. _This is such a waste of time. I never understood why Scott bothered with school, I mean, I guess I understand about not wanting to reveal being supernatural, but then they have weaknesses, we chimeras don’t. And once I have the power of the Beast, nothing will be able to stop us._ He glanced up when he became aware that the teacher was standing in front of him. “Huh?”

“I asked you a question, Mr Stilinski.”

“Uh, I…” The bell rang out as he struggled to read the board behind her. “Oh. Well, I better get going.”

“A word, please.”

“If you insist.” Stiles muttered under his breath as Theo rolled his eyes at him.

“I do, Mr Stilinski.” She snapped at him.

“Go on, Theo, I’ll catch up to you after free period.” Stiles sat on his desk, waiting for the other students to leave. “Well?”

“Your attitude is not acceptable, Mr Stilinski.”

“My attitude?” Stiles struggled to hide a smirk. _Is Theo still in range? Can’t I just slash her throat out, and no one will know?_

“I know that your father was involved in a serious accident recently, which is why I’m not going to escalate this,” She replied, looking at him. “But you’re on notice.”

“Right.” He replied shortly, hands curled into fists to stop them shaking. “Can I go?”

“You may go.”

 _Good, maybe I have a special mission for Tracy!_ Stiles blinked as he exited the classroom, rubbing his temples. _I feel super-charged. It must be because all my chimeras are nearby._ He nodded at Malia as she passed, but the were-coyote ignored him. “Hi…ok.” The Alpha Chimera turned the corner, seeing Corey exiting his Biology class. “Hey, Corey! Wait up.”

“Stiles.”

“Hey, look, I just wanted to say to you that Theo is-”

“The jealous boyfriend, I know the type.” Corey interrupted him, not meeting Stiles’ eyes. “But it doesn’t matter. You were right, Mason is hot, and he’s definitely interested.”

“Oh?”

“He went out of his way to sit next to me in Labs just now, and I’m going to ask him to go out with me again; on Saturday. That's ok, right?” He asked, suddenly worried. 

Stiles frowned, nodding. "Of course, you don't have to ask me. Enjoy it."

"Ok. See ya."

“Bye.” Stiles murmured, watching him leave. Something niggled at him and he took off after Corey, careful not to let the chimera know he was being followed. He stopped when he saw Corey enter the boys’ locker room just behind Liam and Mason. _Hmm, Gym, maybe? I’ll come back later, Mason is a risk, if he convinces Corey to turn against me, another Hayden, and I don’t want to hurt him, it would be easier if Mason joined us._ Stiles turned around and walked out to the bleachers, pulling out a book so it looked like he was studying, even as thoughts of treachery from all sides flooded his mind. _Hayden trusts Theo more than she fears me. That could be a problem. Tracy is the unknown, Josh is loyal to whoever can keep him hopped up on electricity. But if I can get Corey on my side, then I’ll be safe. And Theo won’t betray me, he can’t. I’m the Alpha Chimera!_

 

Moments after the sophomores had left the field, Stiles returned to the corridor outside the boys’ locker room. Corey was close enough for Stiles to feel his senses sharpen and slowly the sounds from inside the locker room filtered out to him. He frowned, concentrating until he could hear Corey and Mason speaking.

"You want to go out again?" Mason said, incredulous.

"Yeah." 

"No." He refused. "No way."

"Why not?"

"You actually have to ask why not?" Mason lowered his voice, but Stiles leaned forward slightly, still able to hear them over the sounds of everything else; showers dripping, guys shutting their lockers, moving past him. He ignored the occasional odd look directed his way, folding his arms and tapping his foot as though he was just waiting for someone.

"Do you like me?" Corey asked. "Go out with me!"

Stiles smirked to himself, surprised at the sudden confidence, perhaps this chimera only needed encouragement on the battlefield. _Well, he’s been lucky enough to have a boyfriend before._

"But you're still with Theo, I..."

"Stiles is the Alpha, Theo's just the muscle." Corey replied. "They brought me back."

"But, but you're with the bad guys."

"There are no bad guys."

"There are definitely bad guys!" Mason insisted.

Stiles tilted his head, another familiar scent reaching him. _Leather and aftershave, strong and almost stinging, I’ll remember that smell until the day I die: Liam!_ Mason was still talking and most of the other sounds had died out as they were left alone.

"Some of the bad guys are called Dread Doctors. You don't get a name like Dread Doctor and not get classified as the bad guys."

"That's what none of you get." Corey broke in, "There aren't going to be any good guys or bad guys, it's either going to be dead or alive! I want to be alive! Don't you? Stiles won't let me die, he won't let any of us die! Not if you’re with me."

"I don't want to be left standing with the bad guys."

"Well, how about with me?" Corey’s voice was lower and Stiles could hear his heart beating faster. _He must be moving closer._ "Stay alive. With me."

Stiles blinked as he heard Corey grunt and pulled back, realising that they must be making out. _Oh, awkward._ He turned to leave, just as Liam slipped out of the locker room, his hair wet, standing up, face flushed.

“Oh.”

"Looks like we've both been caught." Stiles laughed, his eyes roving across Liam’s body, following a droplet of water as it wound down his face to his neck and open collar. “It’s been a while.” 

"Were you waiting for me?"

"Why?" Stiles looked at him curiously.

"Scott, um, we don't talk much now, thanks to your...thanks to Theo. But he told me what you said; you have a crush on me?" Liam spoke the words hesitantly, avoiding the Alpha Chimera's stare.

“I’m not sure ‘have’ is the right tense.” Stiles shrugged. “Yeah, I do, did, whatever. You’re still really hot.”

“Uh, thanks?”

“Did Scott tell you everything?”

“He blushed, but yeah, he told me about your offer of alliance, and what you wanted in return.” Liam met his gaze, as though searching for something. “What would you have done?”

“Curious?” Stiles laughed. “To be honest, I just wanted to see Scott squirm, and I was interested to see if he would actually be willing to do it. But, uh, I would’ve made you cum.”

“Oh.” Liam looked away, a pink tinge across his cheeks.

“Just like I would’ve done that full moon.”

Liam didn’t reply, avoiding Stiles’ eyes again.

"You never told Scott what happened?"

"No."

"Did you enjoy it?"

"I have a girlfriend." Liam responded, swallowing hard.

"Right, of course. A girlfriend." Stiles laughed coldly and backed away. “You know I resurrected her, right? Well Theo did that, but it was Hayden instead of someone else, an exotic I could’ve used. She’s mostly werewolf and I already have one of those.”

“Theo.”

“Exactly.” Stiles looked at the locker room wall and back at him. "There's still time for you to join us, Liam, I normally only take chimeras, but I'd make an exception for you." He held up a hand to stall any reply. "No, think it over, decide who really deserves your...loyalties!" Stiles flicked his eyes over the werewolf with his last words, “Ask Corey, and he’ll tell you that I reward those who are loyal.”

“Stiles, wait.”

“Yeah?”

“What do you want in return?”

“Nothing. I want Hayden to be satisfied, to help her pack, to be loyal.” Stiles nodded, almost to himself. “If you’re asking me if I want something romantic or sexual from you, no, you’re nice to look at, and I’m sure you have many…” He paused, moving closer to Liam, “Interesting qualities that I would enjoy.” His hand rose, but Stiles seemed to think better of the action and pulled away, “But I have Theo, and he’s enough. Think about my offer, Liam, think about what’s best for Hayden.”

Stiles let Liam push past him, the werewolf’s expression hard to read; he looked thoughtful. _Now, that would be a useful addition to the pack. And from the sounds of it, Corey might just have convinced Mason to join us._ He moved closer to the entrance, looking inside to see Corey repeat his question.

“Will you stay alive, with me?”

“Fine.” Mason muttered. "But I am not going out with you again." He reached out to pull Corey back into another kiss. "Probably not."

"We're going to be ok." Corey told him, their foreheads touching. "I know you don't believe it, but Theo and Stiles are looking for the same thing Scott is."

"You mean the last chimera?"

"That's not what Theo is calling it."

"What is he calling it, then?"

"The Beast."

Stiles pulled back, grabbing his bag as his phone buzzed. _Parking lot, now. Malia’s deal._ “Cryptic as always.” The Alpha Chimera muttered, leaving Corey and Mason alone.

 

The Alpha Chimera nodded wordlessly at Tracy and Josh as they stood protectively in front of his Jeep. Stiles grinned as he felt his senses sharpen and his mind darken. “Is Theo here yet?”

“He is on his way, Alpha.” Tracy replied quietly.

“Good, send him in when he gets here.” Stiles climbed into his Jeep, waiting until Theo walked across the lot and got in on the passenger side. “What’s this about Malia’s deal?”

“I told you that we would help Malia when the time came.” He glanced at Stiles. “It’s here.”

“I’m going to need more than that.”

“The deal was that we would help Malia find the Desert Wolf and kill her.” 

"So, we're helping Malia murder her mother?" Stiles asked. “Well, shit.” 

Theo hesitated before replying, "Not exactly, Stiles, we will use her to find the Desert Wolf, because the Desert Wolf has what we need."

"And what is that?"

"Insurance. Against the Beast."

"Hmm." Stiles thought it over, brow creased. "The Beast is strong, but worse than that it might not even be a chimera. If what you said last night is true, the Beast is an actual werewolf and the Doctors simply used a chimera to bring it back. What happens if I can't control it?"

"Exactly." Theo nodded. "You need the power of the Beast, with none of the complications. The Desert Wolf has the means of allowing me to take the Beast's power, in turn sharing it with you."

“And that is?” He looked at his boyfriend. “Do I have to ask every damn question here, Theo? Elaborate for fuck’s sake.”

“Do you remember the night I came back? The storm?” He saw Stiles nodding, “The chimera the Doctors sent ahead had blue claws, he tried to steal Scott’s powers.”

“He failed, but I like where this going.”

“Yeah, the Doctors sometimes do exchanges with hunters, supernatural creatures, whoever, when they need access to different species, samples, that sort of thing.” Theo looked at Stiles, the Alpha Chimera gestured for him to continue. “They made a trade with the Desert Wolf a few weeks ago, when she was Stateside. Gave her the claws, I don’t know why she’d want them, but that’s what I need to steal the Beast’s power, and ensure that we are the ones who control it.”

"Alright, I really like the sound of that. What's the catch?"

"Malia."

"Ah." Stiles stared out the windshield for a moment. _That’s a lot of power, and if Theo can take it from the Beast, I’ll still be able to control him. And Malia…it is unfortunate, but necessary. She will be remembered._ He looked back at Theo, eyes flaring purple. "Glory demands sacrifice!"

Theo grinned, "Yes it does, and we will be glorious!"

“Find Malia, do whatever it takes to convince her that we will help locate her mother, that we want to neutralise the threat the Desert Wolf poses, that she’ll need us to even stand a chance.” Stiles spoke quickly, watching Mrs Flemming approaching them. “You better go, I’m not gonna sit through another free period.”

“Stiles?”

“Tell her my Dad needs me, hospital bullshit. Take Josh with you, but Tracy is to get in.”

“Uh, ok.” He hopped out of the car, gesturing for Tracy to take his place.

Stiles revved the engine and backed out aggressively, seeing the teacher gesture angrily at him. “Haha, hello, Tracy.”

“Alpha.”

“I have a task for you, nothing too excessive, but you’ll find it fun.” Stiles grinned at her as he sped out of the parking lot. “Wait until after dark, Mrs. Flemming, Math, she was right there. You’ll remember her?” He waited until Tracy nodded, “Well, she was very rude to me today, I don’t want her dead, just a little…scared. Do you think you can do that for me?”

“Yes, Alpha, I will enjoy that.”

“Excellent.” Stiles grinned and continued to drive towards the hospital. “I probably should visit my father, while I’m in the area.”

 

Night had fallen by the time Theo found Malia, tracking her to the Animal Clinic. He moved slowly, careful not to arouse her attention. But he needn’t have worried; she was busy rifling through Deaton’s files, searching for something. He leaned on the doorframe, arms folded, looking around the trashed office; paper and files dumped on the floor, spread across the twin desks, drawers open, their contents shoved back inside hastily. _Hmm, smell that anger, feel the aggression in the air! Oh, this will be good, now why don’t we leverage that, see if she really is as ruthless as I’ve heard?_ He watched her, unseen for a moment, before speaking up. "Can't find him, can you?"

She froze, motionless, bent over the file drawers, before slowly straightening up.

"Probably don't even know where to start." Theo continued, tilting his head. "You're not going to find him. To be honest, he's probably already dead." He grinned evilly. "Why would your mother drag him all around the country, slowing her down? He’s just extra weight, dead weight now!” He laughed a little, baiting her anger further. “And it's a pity, what with Deaton being Scott's mentor and all. I wonder what will happen when Scott realises it's your fault?"

“Rarrr!” She roared at him, moving faster than he had expected, shoving him backwards into the medical supply cabinets that lined the operating room walls. 

His back stung as the impact knocked the wind from his lungs, taken off balance. Theo could feel the difference without Stiles beside him, lacking that extra boost he had started to take for granted. He slid to the ground, shattered glass sprinkling around him. Before he had time to react however, Malia stormed into the room and grabbed him by the front of his shirt, her claws scratching the skin underneath. He was pulled upwards, one hand on her arm, hard enough to bruise, but not to break the furious were-coyote's grasp. She hit him, a short sharp pain racing across his cheek.

"I could kill you!" She growled at him, eyes wild as her grip tightened suddenly around his throat.

"Yeah, but you won't." Theo forced out, and smirked at her. "You still care about Stiles, still care about his feelings, and he'd be really upset if you killed me."

She snarled at him wordlessly, her grip easing as he kept talking.

"Oh, and the best part," He continued, grin widening, "Is that you haven't even seen what Stiles can do now. You might be strong, but you're no match for all of us together with the Alpha Chimera at full power. You're just one lonely coyote looking for her mother, and you can’t even find her." Theo smirked knowingly, glaring into her glowing blue eyes. “You are pathetic!”

She hit him again, this time drawing blood from his lip, then again, harder, her claws scratching a deep furrow across one eyebrow. He laughed, tongue darting out to taste the rich metallic tang of his own blood. She frowned at him and he took his chance, pushing her back suddenly. But Malia was strong and she resisted, digging her claws into his arms, slamming him first against another cabinet, and then flipping him over to smash down on the metal slab of the examination table. He tried to move but then he heard a sudden crunch in his left shoulder as she broke his arm, pulling the joint out of place. "Argh!" Malia walked around the table, before leaping up on top of him, moving in for the kill.

His left arm was useless, and blood soaked his face, the glorious flavour of it in his mouth, coating his teeth. The chimera's eyes glowed as he smirked at her, the rest of his body unchanged. This only seemed to anger Malia further, who punched him hard, a crunch as his nose broke and blood rushed over his lips, another punch striking his jaw as he turned into it, his face screaming in pain, even as his body healed his nose. He let his head hang back, grinning widely, blood streaming across his cheeks to drip onto the ground below. He could hear her racing pulse above him, her pounding heart, the deep gulps of air she took after each punch. Theo raised his head to look at her, his broken arm causing a sudden wave of agony to engulf him, forcing his eyes to close and he gritted his blood-splattered teeth. She punched him three more times in quick succession, each time hitting his cheeks or jaw. He growled as he felt his orbital bone crack and pain blossomed across his jawline. But it wasn't enough, not just yet. Theo laughed, a short burst of forced mirth before Malia swung at him harder, breaking his nose again, another wave of blood down across his parted lips. She paused, swinging slight, fist upheld, as he smirked.

"Is that all you have?" He spat at her, seeing the were-coyote recoil at the blood flecks in his words. He reached over with his right hand and pushed the now healed left arm back into the socket. "Ah! Pitiful..."

She grabbed him suddenly, pulling him upwards, her arm outstretched, claws open. Before she could strike, he looked her in the eye. "I can help you find them!"

"Why?"

"We have a deal. You did your part, now we do ours."

She stared at him, confused, before lowering her hand. "Why didn't you just say that at the beginning?"

"I wanted to see how far you'd go, if you're truly ready to kill." He nodded slowly, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, spreading crimson across his skin, looking at it for a moment as it soaked in, before tearing his eyes away. "Glad to see that you are. Stiles will know it too."

"What?" She moved back, as uncertainty clouded her scent. Theo sat up, legs dangling off the edge.

"You beat me up pretty good, but I heal fast, so maybe he doesn't need to know. Maybe he'll agree to keep the deal," Theo grinned at her through bloody teeth. "Or maybe not. Maybe he'll finally see you for the wild animal you are and put you down himself!"

"You're lying."

“I’m just fucking with you, Malia.” He smirked, the blood on his face still wet as his bones reset and healed. “Besides, I know you want to find them; Deaton and the Desert Wolf, and I can do that.”

"How?" She demanded, moving close again, claws glinting in the spilled light from the office.

"The Dread Doctors." Theo watched her carefully, "I know how they found everyone."

She leaned back, letting her claws return to nails. “Go on.”

“They have a device, you put it on, and it shows the frequencies of every chimera, and every supernatural.”

“Why haven’t you done it?” She asked bluntly.

“Oh, well, you have to know who you’re looking for, and I don’t know the Desert Wolf.” He held up a hand when she tried to speak. “You might not think you do, but trust me, the memories are there, the device will find them, and finally you will have your revenge.” _And I will have the claws._

 

Stiles frowned as he looked up from his Jeep, pouring another bottle of coolant into the reservoir. “Corey?”

“Hey, Stiles. You busy?”

“No. Come here.” He gestured for the younger chimera to come closer. “Just re-filling my coolant.”

“Still leaking, huh?”

“I’ll fix it eventually.” He shook the last drops from the bottle. “What’s up?”

“I heard you today; you and Liam, outside the locker room.” Corey bit his lip nervously as Stiles smiled lightly.

“Oh? I thought you and Mason were busy enough not to notice us.”

“Well, kinda. I mean he didn’t hear you, but I did.” He ran a hand across the Jeep, “You heard me too, then?”

“Yeah.” Stiles beckoned the chimera to follow him into the house. “You know, Corey, you can be confident when you want to.”

“Err.”

“I’m not mad or anything, I was just surprised you don’t bring that kind of assuredness when you’re near Theo.” Stiles shrugged. “But, hey, have you something you want to ask me about Liam?”

“You’re really interested in him?”

“He’s a werewolf, my best friend, uh, Scott is a werewolf.” Stiles coughed awkwardly, “You were in the tunnels, you know what I said.”

“Yeah, but I thought you were just playing with him, taunting him, you know?” Corey frowned at him. “I didn’t think you actually wanted to date Liam, or Scott.”

“I don’t, I have Theo.” The Alpha Chimera leaned against the door, “Besides, Scott and Liam are straight, I’m sure you know the futility of chasing straight guys.”

“Yeah.” Corey shrugged, then looked down the street. “There’s a motorbike coming.”

“Scott…” Stiles muttered. “Go invisible. Wait there, no matter what, you wait here.”

“Yes, Alpha.” Corey whispered and he faded from view.

 

Stiles watched as Scott pulled up, climbed off his bike, and placed the helmet carefully on the handlebars.

“You’re hard to find, Stiles,” Scott called out, stopping midway on the lawn. “You weren’t at your house, or the hospital, I even checked the library.”

“No, Theo’s parents are out of town, and my Dad is still recovering. He needs his rest.” Stiles moved down the steps to stand in front of Scott. “Plus, I’m sure you can sense the added protection of this house: circles of mountain ash, wolfsbane in the walls.”

“Yeah, I can feel it.”

“Why are you here, Scott?” Stiles shook his head, “Haven’t we said everything that needs to be said? I killed Donovan because I had to, you don’t believe me. There’s nothing-”

"I know the difference." Scott cut across him.

"What?"

"I know what self-defense is."

A long silence stretched between them. Finally Stiles looked at him, eyes narrowed. "So that's it? All is forgiven?"

"It can be." Scott shrugged. "We don't have to be enemies, Stiles."

"I offered you the chance." The Alpha Chimera replied coolly.

"But were you serious? Your conditions...that wasn't you speaking to me."

Stiles looked at his hands, then up at Scott. “Yes, it was. Except normally I'd just think it. But now I can say it. I can say what I want, what I think, what I feel. It's liberating. But more than that, I can do it!” He moved past Scott, outside of the protective circle. “I’m not afraid, not like I used to be, when all I had was a baseball bat.”

“You had me!” Scott looked at him. “I was there for you, Stiles, I am still here for you. Kira is back, I’ll figure something out with Liam, Malia will come around, and we’ll get Lydia out of Eichen House. The pack will be back together, just like old times!”

Stiles sighed, “I miss you, Scott, but too much has changed; I don’t think we can be what we once were.”

"I didn't want it to happen like this." The werewolf hung his head, tone low.

"What?"

"I knew, sooner or later, one of us was going to get a little bit too much blood on our hands."

"Oh, Scott." Stiles says with a murderous smirk, "I think that time has already passed."

"It doesn't have to, Stiles. I can, we can still save this, pull back from the brink, please. Whatever Theo is up to it can’t be good."

“You still think Theo runs this pack? I showed you who is control.”

“Stiles, please, you said it yourself, the Dread Doctors and that creature; they are real threat.” Scott reached out and touched his arm. “Come back to us, Stiles.”

“And what? Give up everything that I have worked for? Everything I deserve?!” Stiles brushed his hand away, snarling at the werewolf. “What can you offer me, Scott? I have Theo, I have a pack that makes me strong, and each chimera a little stronger.”

"Friendship, Stiles. We used to be best friends, once."

"That too has passed." Stiles turned away.

“Then alliance.”

The Alpha Chimera hesitated, looking towards the house. “Really?”

“Do you want me to get down like a dog?” Scott asked him, smile lingering around his lips.

“No, that won’t be necessary.” Stiles laughed at him, hearing the werewolf echo him. For a brief moment, it was like it always used to be. Then his expression became serious. “But I will need something from you.”

“I forgive you, Stiles, if that makes it easier.”

“That’s not what I want.”

“Fine, I’ll forgive Theo, get my Mom to lay off you too.” Scott offered instead.

“Tempting, but that’s still not what I want.” Stiles moved closer, “There’s only one thing you can give me that I’ll consider as acceptable forgiveness.”

“But I-”

“Scott,” Stiles shook his head, closer now. “Words aren’t enough.”

“Then what?”

"Kiss me." Stiles felt his pulse shoot upwards, seeing the surprise in Scott’s face. He’d wanted this for so long, but he’d never felt strong enough to just ask for it.

"What?" 

"How much do you want this alliance, Scott?" Stiles asked, arms folded. "Kiss me like I'm Kira, and I'll call off my chimeras, make sure we don't have any more conflicts. We might even work together."

“I…” The struggle was clear on Scott’s face. Stiles smirked as he watched the werewolf. “Ok.”

“Ok?” The Alpha Chimera blinked. _This was unexpected._ He watched Scott come closer to him, his eyes closing as he leaned in, lips slightly parted. Stiles felt the world freeze around him, he couldn’t deny the arousal in his pants, but this was never about sex. He took a step back and tapped Scott on his chest. “Stop.”

“What?”

“I wanted to know if you’d do it. I wanted to see how much you really missed me.” Stiles smiled at him. “I’m impressed.”

“And you’re horny.” Scott frowned at him. “I don’t get it.”

“We have ourselves an alliance, Scott. Chimeras and…non-chimeras.” Stiles held out his hand to the werewolf. “To take down the Dread Doctors, defeat the Beast, aid each other when mutually beneficial, and to avoid any further conflict. Do you accept?”

“I do.” Scott shook his hand, hesitating before pulling Stiles into a hug. “I’m glad you’re back, in some form or other. I missed you!”

 _Ok, ok, enough with the love-in, Scott. I’m not your best friend again_ “Yeah, ok, Scott.” He managed to pull back. “I’ll gather my pack, tell them the good news. See you around.”

“Goodbye, Stiles.” Scott grinned at him and ran across to his bike.

 

Stiles waited until Scott had left, before calling Corey to him. “Well now, that was interesting.”

“Alliance?”

“It’ll do for the moment.” Stiles pulled out his phone. “Theo will be back shortly. You should go home, no gathering tonight; Hayden is working Liam, Tracy is on a mission from me, and I’m sure Josh is draining the power from something.”

“Can’t I stay here? I’ll be quiet.”

“Hehe,” Stiles laughed and looked at him. “That bad, huh?”

“It’s not so much the fights, it’s the silence, the crying when she doesn’t think I can hear it.” Corey looked at the ground, “But now I hear everything.”

“I see.” Stiles’ face grew hard. “You can sleep upstairs. I’ll explain to Theo.”

“Thanks, Stiles.” Corey looked sideways at him. “Would you have done it, though? Kiss…another boy, I mean?”

Stiles shook his head. “No, I’m with Theo. And despite not being able to avoid crushing on just about every hot guy in school, I’d never cheat on him. At least, not without his blessing!” He winked at Corey, enjoying how the chimera’s eyes widened at that. “Come on, I’ll show you the guest bedroom. We’re using it to store the crap his parents left behind when they bolted. We’ll make the bed, at least.”

“Thanks, Alpha.”

 

Stiles was staring into the fire when Theo returned. He hugged the Alpha Chimera from behind. “Hey, you ok?”

“Yeah, yeah.” Stiles looked at him tiredly, “Corey is spending the night in the guest bedroom.”

“Why?”

“His parents are assholes, and it sounds like his Dad is abusive.” Stiles shook his head. “Looks like I’ll have another task for Tracy in the morning.”

“Ok.” Theo nodded. “He can stay as long as he needs.”

“Thank you, Theo.” Stiles reached over a took his hand in his own. “Now, tell me about Malia. Is the plan in motion?”

“Yeah. She’s aggressive, ruthless, and focused entirely on revenge. She’s easy to manipulate.” Theo smirked, showing his free hand to Stiles, the back still covered in dried blood.

“Hmm, I was wondering what that smell was.” Stiles looked him over. “She attacked you?”

“Bet me bloody. It was…delicious!”

“You are all sorts of fucked up.” Stiles replied as Theo grinned at him.

“Yeah, but it got us what we needed. She’ll find the Desert Wolf, and we’ll find what we need.”

“I’m concerned.” Stiles sighed, turning back to the fire. “We don’t have enough information, about this werewolf the Beast was, or is. There are hunters we could ask, but that’s messy, and I want something we can control.” _Deucalion_. The thought flashed across his mind and Stiles grinned suddenly. “I know of a werewolf who claimed to know lots of things. He’s an Alpha, but a blind one. I think our pack should be able to take one blind Alpha.”

“Sounds interesting. The Doctors might know more.” Theo replied thoughtfully. “We’ll have to be careful, ensure Scott doesn’t hear about it.”

“Scott won’t be a problem for us anymore.” Stiles looked at him, the warm glow of the fire reflected in his eyes. “I made the alliance.”

“What? Why?”

“So, we can focus on the Beast without expecting Scott to complicate things.”

“But, I don’t get it.” Theo stared at him, puzzled.

“It’s easy, Scott thinks we’re allies, here to help take down the Beast and its evil creators.” Stiles smiled calculatingly at him. “But that’s not true, even our own pack thinks that we want to control the Beast, not consume his powers, as you will do, Theo. And even then, they’re only scratching the surface of my ambition.”

“Go on.” Theo encouraged him, his pulse increasing as he latched onto the excitement in Stiles’ voice, the burning zeal in his purple eyes.

“Control the Beast if we can, if not, we take its powers. But for what purpose? Power on its own is not an end. It is only the beginning: we will take the Dread Doctors and they will create more chimeras, better chimeras, successful chimeras! And if they refuse, I will wield the power of the Beast, of all chimeras and find new Dread Doctors to usher in an age of discovery and magnificence!” Stiles stood up, spreading his arms wide and holding them up. “It’s like you said, we will be glorious, and powerful, and nothing will stand in our way. With the Dread Doctors behind us, and an army of chimeras in front of me, a new empire will rise; it’s time to come out of the shadows, Theo, and rule beside me!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stiles: the God Emperor! Coming soon...or not, we'll see how it plays out ;) Hope you enjoyed that chapter, it was a lot of fun to write!


	14. Acquisitions

Stiles watched the procession of bodies move past him into the mortuary, his father’s face was stressed, pulse beating too high, the strain manifested in a vein pumping against his temple. The Alpha Chimera didn’t say anything however, just assisted the Sheriff as he leaned on a crutch. Theo trailed along behind him, Stiles could smell his disinterest, but he still had to play the dutiful son. _Soon, Theo, soon we won’t have to bother with this._ Stiles stopped, nodding at Deputy Parrish standing at the end of the hallway. “Is he alright?”

“I don’t know.” The Sheriff replied, glancing at his officer. “He thinks this is his dream coming true.”

“Looks that way.” Theo muttered, “That’s a lot of dead bodies. Where were they found?”

“In a pile under the storm drains, just dumped there from what the CSIs are saying. It wasn’t pretty.” The Sheriff grimaced, looking at them both. “I guess Chris Argent has a strong stomach.”

“Argent?” Stiles whispered, surprised. “He found them?”

“Yeah. Wait here.” He held up a hand to stop Stiles following him and hobbled over to Parrish. 

Stiles exchanged a look with Theo and they leaned against the wall, silent, listening.

"Parrish." The Sheriff said, leaning on his crutch. "Parrish, look at me."

Stiles frowned as he saw the haunted look in the young man’s eyes, the air turned sour with his sadness. The Deputy looked at him first, before turning his gaze to the Sheriff. 

"I know what you're thinking; the dream is coming true. It's not." The Sheriff said firmly.

"Sheriff, there's twenty-three bodies. Twenty-three of them!"

"Which means you're going to go back to the station and go through every missing person report for the past two weeks. That's what we do."

Parrish looked away, his eyes drifting over Stiles and Theo again, this time, his eyes lingered on Stiles a little longer than was comfortable. The Alpha Chimera frowned, as though sensing something was amiss. “Theo?” He murmured softly.

“Yeah?”

“You’re sure he’s not aware of what he is?”

“I think so.” The chimera looked at his boyfriend, “Why?”

“Because I’m meant to control the Beast, won’t Parrish be trying to kill me too?”

“Uh, the Jeep…”

"You got it, Parrish?" The Sheriff reached to out and gripped the Deputy’s shoulder hard, pulling his attention back.

“Yes, Sheriff.” He nodded and muttered quietly, walking slowly past them. He didn’t look at the two chimeras again.

“Weird.” Stiles commented, eyes following Parrish until he disappeared through the double doors at the other end of the corridor. 

 

Theo looked to one side as the elevator doors opened, revealing Scott and Kira. He growled softly in his throat as they stared at him, before moving out into the hallway. “Scott.” Theo muttered his greeting, sidling closer to Stiles, letting his fingers touch the back of the Alpha Chimera’s hand. 

Stiles looked between Scott and Theo, feeling the tension in the air. “Scott, hey.” He said, in attempt to defuse the situation.

“Stiles.” Scott replied with a smile. “Good to see you.”

“Yeah, Stiles.” Kira added, only her heartbeat telling him that the sentiment was forced.

The Sheriff looked among them, “Well I’m glad you’re all speaking to each other again, no matter what might have happened in the past. We have a much bigger problem than I thought.”

Scott frowned, looking past them at the continuing stream of body bags. “Who found them?”

“Chris Argent.” Stiles replied before his father could. “I didn’t know he was back in town, did you?”

“Why would I?”

“Right.” Stiles snorted, and shook his head. “He found them in the tunnels under the city. Seems like this creature has a fondness for tight spaces.”

“Argent said the Doctors were down there, too.” The Sheriff added, “He even said that you would have a better idea of what is going on here. So? Anyone? I need something, I have to have a plan, here, guys.”

“I don’t know, Dad, you can’t tell the Deputies they’re going up against a monster with glowing eyes that turns back into a teenager in the daylight.” Stiles scratched his head. “We’re not even sure what this thing is.”

“It’s called the Beast.” Scott answered for him.

“The Medical Examiner’s preliminary report states that they were killed elsewhere and dumped in the tunnels.” The Sheriff frowned. “I wouldn’t have thought that this…Beast would take forensic counter-measures.”

“It wouldn’t.” Stiles nodded. “Yeah, the Doctors are the ones controlling it, keeping it safe, honing its killing abilities, and hiding the bodies from detection.” 

“Do you know what it is?” Scott asked him.

Theo glanced at Stiles first, seeing his nod, and then answered. "It's a werewolf, pure strain, no mixture." _Just an ordinary chimera, Scott, why don’t you go on up to it and say “hi”, I’m sure it won’t gut you like a fish…_

“So, it’s still just a chimera?”

“Yeah.” Stiles gave a tiny shake of his head when Scott opened his mouth to ask the obvious follow-up question. The werewolf frowned, then looked at the Sheriff, brows raised. Stiles nodded. His father was looking at them, confused. “Yeah, just a chimera that is huge and terrifying and has killed, what, twenty people in the last week? No biggie, right, Scott?”

“We’ve faced worse.” The werewolf replied with a friendly smile.

“Worse?” The Sheriff shook his head. “Parrish is involved in this, isn’t he?”

“Maybe, if his dreams are anything to go by.” Stiles shrugged. 

“So, the Beast and the…Any idea on what we should be calling him?” He glanced around, but none of the teenagers said anything. “Ok, go on home, I need to figure out the official response to this. Try and stay safe, all of you.”

Stiles let his father squeeze his shoulder as he walked stiffly past them. Once the Sheriff was out of earshot, he turned to Scott and Kira. “Did you know Chris Argent was back in town?”

“You didn’t tell your Dad the truth?” Scott deflected the question, seeing Stiles glare at him. “Sorry, but shouldn’t he know what’s really going on? If the Beast is just a chimera, and you control all the chimeras, Stiles…”

“It’s not that simple.”

“You don’t really expect him to understand, do you?” Theo smirked derisively at the werewolf. “Come on, Stiles.”

The Alpha Chimera inclined his head, and followed Theo through the door to the stairs.

 

Stiles pushed open another door, stopping when he found Scott standing in his way. “Following us, now, Scott? We’re not going to lead you to the Beast, or the Doctors.”

“I wanna talk to you.” Scott looked at Theo pointedly, “Alone.” 

"It's fine." Stiles said to Theo. "I'll meet you in the parking lot."

Theo nodded, glaring at Scott.

“Does he hate me because I want my best friend back, or does he just hate me?” The werewolf tried to break the ice between them, but Stiles didn’t answer. “Ok. What do you see in him, Stiles?”

“You wouldn’t understand.”

“I’ve had girlfriends, I think I can make some part of it relate.” Scott moistened his lips. “Is it because you can control what he can and can’t do?”

“He’s not my slave, he’s my boyfriend.” Stiles thought for a moment. “Although, I suppose you have a point, I’m never at risk from him.”

“I’m not planning to hurt you, Stiles.” Scott replied, confused.

“Good,” Stiles let his eyes turn purple for a moment. “Because the Alpha Chimera is never alone.” He watched Scott’s nostrils flare as the werewolf looked around the empty hospital hallways. “Don’t worry, they’ll only come when called.”

“You like it; the power, I mean.”

Stiles laughed, “Sure, but what you need to understand, Scott, is that I am nothing without my pack, without my chimeras, all I can do is make my eyes glow, maybe have better than average senses. Alone, I’m no one special.”

“That’s not true,” Scott smiled at him, “You’ve got plenty to offer!”

“Sure, ok, but it’s more than power or abilities, Scott.” Stiles let his eyes glow again, “Theo helped return Hayden and Corey. I think you’ll agree that they didn’t deserve death.”

“What about Tracy and Josh? They’re not so friendly.”

“A necessary evil,” Stiles gestured dismissively, “I need them to give me power, so we can fight the Beast, destroy the Dread Doctors, do what is required to stop the killing.”

“Sounds harsh.”

“I’m trying to stop the bloodshed, Scott, that’s why I wanted our alliance, that’s why I told you to come to the hospital this evening.”

“Sorry, you’re right.” Scott apologised. “So, maybe I know a little more about Chris Argent being back than I let on.”

“I figured.” Stiles nodded, beginning to walk towards the exit. “I can see why, though, something like this needs the expertise of the hunters.”

“Yeah, but if it is a chimera, how will wolfsbane and mountain ash help?”

“As I remember it, the Argents had a bunch of guns? Bullets might slow it down. Besides, not all chimeras are the same. Like I said a few minutes ago, Scott, I don’t have any abilities without my chimeras, I can’t even heal fast.” He watched the werewolf’s brows knit together, resisting the urge to laugh. _Really, Scott, do you do all your thinking out loud? Still using your fingers to count?_ “Theo says that the Doctors originally designed the Overmind, me, to be constantly surrounded by chimeras, a sort of chimera general with his army.” Stiles laughed at that, seeing Scott smile weakly, his pulse increasing. _Panicking? You should be, there will be no competitors when I am Emperor._

“Right.” Scott swallowed. “Um, well, I better go find Kira, see you at school tomorrow?”

“Sure.” Stiles watched him walk away into the night, before he spoke again. “Come forward.”

Tracy and Josh moved out of their hiding places, standing beside the Alpha Chimera. Theo pulled up in his truck a moment later. Stiles glanced around, but there was no one else close enough to overhear them. “Ok, we have things to do. Scott and his half-a-pack are not our concern for now. Theo, I want to move on the Malia thing as soon as possible.”

“I’ll arrange a meeting, I’ll need to bring her back to the lab though in order for us to find what we’re looking for.” He shrugged. “I could dose her?”

“Do it.”

“Here.” Theo threw the keys at him. “There are things that must be prepared, I’ll call you later.”

“You’re not coming home?” Stiles frowned at him as the chimera turned and walked into the night. “Fine. Josh, stay with me, there’s something I need to show you, and to see if it will actually work as intended.”

“Right. I’ll wait in the truck.” The chimera replied moodily.

Stiles beckoned Tracy closer, “Were you successful?”

“Yes, I think so. Mrs. Flemming has learnt respect. And I made sure she got a good look, no one will believe her.” Tracy smirked at him. “It was fun, all the fear with none of the mess.”

“Good, I’m glad you enjoyed it, because there will be more. Much more.” Stiles smiled cruelly. “This next assignment is a little closer to home, in fact why don’t you join me and Josh? I can give him what he needs and then we can indulge ourselves?”

She frowned at him, but followed the Alpha Chimera into the truck. Josh looked at her. “She’s coming?”

“Yeah.” Stiles pulled out of the hospital lot and slowed down as he exited onto the empty roadway. “There, glove box, hand it to me.” He pointed and Josh reached down to pull the black object out.

“What is it?”

“Taser. Police-issue. Fifty thousand volts, let’s see if you work the way I think you do!” Stiles turned and fired the weapon at Josh, smirking as the chimera grunted. He looked up at Stiles, his eyes echoing the blue electric arcs that shimmered around his body. “Huh, as I expected.”

“That was good!” Josh grinned at him. “Again!”

“As you wish.” Stiles pressed on the trigger and released the rest of the charge. He looked at Tracy in the rear-view mirror. “I stole this and a box of cartridges from my Dad’s cruiser about six months ago; werewolves are weak to electricity. Something we may need to use in the future.”

 

Stiles pulled in a few houses down from Corey’s. The lights were off, the street deserted. _Obviously not worried about their son. He’s staying with us, probably until he graduates…_ “Ok, from the sounds of it, it’s the Dad we’ll be targeting. Depending on how resistant he is, you may have to get your claws a little bloody.” Stiles returned her smirk and opened the door. “Let’s go.”

Stiles nodded at the spill of light around the back of the house. “Someone is still up. Knock on the door.”

She looked at him. “Really?”

“Indulge me.”

“Fine.” Tracy flicked her claws out and rapped on the wood. “I hear voices. The man’s is raised.”

“Knock louder then.”

She repeated her actions, nodding at him. “He’s coming.” Tracy took a step backwards to stand beside Stiles. The door was pulled open suddenly and the heavyset middle-aged man stared at them.

“Well? What do you want?”

“A bit late to be receiving visitors, isn’t it?” Stiles said conversationally to Tracy, he glanced at the man, same dark hair as Corey, but that was where the resemblance stopped. “We’re friends of your son, can we come in?”

“He’s not here.” The man attempted to slam the door in his face, but Stiles forced it open with his hand.

“That was less of a question and more of an assumption.” Stiles pushed his way past the surprised man before he could react. “Well, thankfully Corey got his brains from somewhere else.”

“Hey!” He had recovered and shook a meaty fist under Stiles’ nose as Tracy circled behind him, hair covering her face. “You better get out of here, kid!”

“Or what?” Stiles looked at the bruises on the clenched fist in front of him, speaking softly, “You’ll punch me too?”

Silence.

“No,” Stiles looked around the room. “You don’t use your fists very often do you, that’s only when you get really mad, or you’ve had a really bad day at whatever the hell it is you do. You prefer to talk, to belittle, to moan, to complain, to insult, to use your words as weapons to break and burn and cut.” The Alpha Chimera let his eyes shift to purple and pulled on all of Tracy’s abilities, his mouth filling with fangs, sharp claws springing from his nails. The man let out a straggled shriek as Stiles grinned at him, his terrifying visage forcing the man backwards against the wall. _Paralyse him, this will take time._ Tracy darted forward, nicking his neck with her claw as the Alpha Chimera watched. He knelt down to the man’s level. “It’s your turn to listen…”

 

Theo looked up as Malia entered the boys' locker room, the rising sun bathing the space in orange light. “Good, you got my message.”

“A note in my locker? You could have just texted me, Theo.”

“Could’ve.” He shrugged. “But you’re here now, and we need to take action right away.”

“What’s the rush?”

“Heh, Malia, come on, I know you want to find Deaton, and you need me. So, we do it now.” Theo smirked at her and stood up. “I told you I have a way of letting you find what, and who, you want. But the Dread Doctors don’t just let anyone into their lab. So, we need to…improvise.” He moved forward, revealing the syringe gun he was holding in his hand.

"You're kidding, right?" Malia looked at him, at the needle, and then back at him.

"I promised I'd help, and I will."

"How is that supposed to help me find Deaton?"

"It isn't." Theo sighed, "The device is in the Dread Doctors' operating theatre, you need to get there, and I can smuggle you in without them noticing."

"What's in it?" She nodded at the syringe.

"Wolfsbane." He glanced at the liquid inside. "Same kind as they used on Liam. It won't last and there's no permanent side-effects." 

“Why are you so calm about this?” Malia demanded, voice rising. 

“I’ve seen it done plenty of times, there’s no risk.” He tried to assure her. “Look, I’ve thought about this, and unless you want to give the Doctors free rein to experiment on you, my plan is your best bet.”

"Why should I trust you?" 

"You shouldn't," Theo replied. "But you should trust Stiles, he's helped you before, even against his better judgement. You've been carrying this around with you for a long time, Malia, he wants to see your burden lifted." The chimera smirked, "Besides, you will trust me on this, because you want to find the Desert Wolf; Scott's boss could already be dead."

She grimaced. “I…”

"Do you want to give Scott the bad news? Do you want to tell him Deaton is dead because of you? I mean, you pretty much dared the Desert Wolf to come after you!"

There was conflict in her eyes for a moment too long, and Theo thought she wouldn't agree. But then Malia stepped forward slowly, distastefully nodding at him.

 _Excellent. I probably shouldn’t tell her this is the easy bit though._ Theo smirked, “A little closer. Closer. Closer. Ah, close enough. Now hold still.” The chimera frowned. _She’s taller than me! Hmm, maybe it’s the boots._ He looked at her feet, his eyes darting back up as Malia stared at him expectantly. Theo held up the syringe, clearing his throat, "It goes in the carotid artery, direct hit. It'll hurt. Tilt your head. Yeah, like that." He reached up to hold her head still, whispering, "Don't move, I don't wanna miss." He brought up the syringe, pressing the needle against her flesh. Theo paused, glancing into her eyes, "Sure?"

"Do it."

The corners of his lips twitched and he pushed the rest of the needle inside in one smooth motion, his eyes locked on hers. Malia grunted, grimacing as the wolfsbane solution flooded her system. She shifted, teeth sliding into place, crazed blue eyes piercing him, snarling. Theo finished quickly, before the coyote took over, watching with disinterest as Malia slumped sideways and he pulled the needle free. “Done.” The chimera took out his phone. “Stiles? It’s me.”

“I can see that.”

“Right, I have Malia.”

“Good. Your truck is by the back fire-exit. I’ll meet you at the lab then?”

“Yeah.” Theo hesitated. “You remember what I told you about the tunnel entrance?”

“Twist the snake clockwise and it will open, I got it, Theo.”

“I’ll see you there, Stiles.” He ended the call, and knelt down to pick up Malia’s limp body.

 

Stiles threw his books into his locker after Theo hung up. _Not much point today. Well, not much point in any of it soon enough._ He grinned at the thought and glanced upwards as the PA buzzed. “By order of the Sheriff, a county-wide curfew goes into effect tonight at sundown. All afterschool activities have been cancelled until further notice. Students should go directly home at the end of the school day.”

“Great.” Stiles muttered. He turned to see Corey and Mason approaching him, the human’s apprehension obvious, even without the enhanced senses of a chimera. Stiles smiled at Corey and nodded at Mason. “Hi.”

“Hey Stiles!”

“Um, yeah, hi.”

“I don’t bite.” Stiles smirked at Mason, "Much.”

“Uh,” He turned to Corey. “You said-”

“Shut up, Mason!” The chimera hissed, and moistened his lips, looking at Stiles. “So, what’s going on? How come there are cops everywhere? Why do they have shotguns? What’s with the curfew? Why-”

“Ok, ok, calm down.” The Alpha Chimera held up his hands, _Seriously, Corey, slow your heart-beat. Good._ He continued after the younger chimera blinked and stared at him in wonder. “The Alpha Chimera has complete control over all chimeras, internal functions too. But, that’s irrelevant. My Dad said that he needed to come up with some official response to all the death, the bodies, the weirdness.” Stiles shrugged and shut his locker door, beginning to walk slowly down the hallway as they followed him. “The last thing he wants is the Feds back, so yeah, it might look a little crazy right now, but once we deal with the Beast and the Doctors, everything will go back to normal. At least, normal for Beacon Hills.”

“Are we in danger?” Mason asked him, “I mean, the normal people, without the eyes and the fangs and the invisibility?”

“Don’t worry, it’ll all be over soon. Wait, I know that deputy, I’ll see what I can find out and I’ll let you guys know.”

“Thanks Stiles.”

He waited until they had walked away before crossing the hall and touching the officer on the shoulder. “Hey, Deputy Strauss.”

“Stiles. What do you want?”

“Well,” Stiles looked pointedly at the gun the Deputy was holding up. "Don't you think this is a bit much in terms of firepower for a high school?"

"Your Dad is the one that issued us these things, but he wouldn't exactly say why." He replied, showing Stiles the shotgun.

"Uh huh." Stiles glanced at Scott as the werewolf joined them.

"Some of the other Deputies say that there's a serial killer on the loose, that he or she is targeting teenagers." Strauss continued. "But that's just their theory."

"And what's your theory?" Stiles asked with a smirk.

"I really shouldn't be talking to you guys, don't you have class?"

"Aww, come on Strauss, tell us your theory!"

The Deputy leaned in, glancing furtively from side to side. "Do you guys believe in the supernatural?"

Stiles let his expression go blank, but Scott was staring at the Deputy in what the werewolf obviously thought was surprise. _You have got to be kidding me, Scott!_ Stiles resisted the urge to roll his eyes, or reach over and close Scott's gaping mouth. "Uh..." He looked at Scott, and then back at the waiting Deputy. "Um, what do you mean exactly?"

"I think there is a supernatural killing machine out there. I saw Parrish that night, no way he was on drugs, Stiles."

"Um."

"I'm telling you; giant mutant sewer alligators!" Strauss looked at them for their reactions. “It’s all over the Dark Web!”

"I have class, gotta go." Stiles turned abruptly and made a beeline for the exit. Scott mumbled an equally weak excuse and followed him, frowning.

“Hey, what about Math?”

“Oh, I don’t think that she’ll be in today.”

“Huh?”

“I noticed that she wasn’t herself yesterday, when you were away.” Stiles smirked when he saw Tracy nod at him from her locker as they passed. “Look, Scott, I’ve got leads only I can follow, if you understand?”

“Chimera stuff?”

Stiles resisted the urge to roll his eyes again. _No wonder they call me the smart one. How is he even challenging us right now? Oh, yeah, he’s still an Alpha werewolf._

“The Doctors?” Scott asked, with slightly more concern. 

“Yeah.” Stiles admitted, letting his scent slide into unease. He saw the subtle changes in the werewolf’s posture. “Look, it’s-”

“I know. I understand that they’ll talk to you.” Scott broke in. “Don’t worry, I’ll cover for you.”

“Thanks. I’ll keep you in the loop, might take a while though.” Stiles returned the Alpha’s smile, feeling it fall from his lips when he turned away, walking towards the exit. _Better than a fight._ He thought to himself, pushing the door open, reaching into his pocket for his keys.

 

Stiles stepped through the sliding door, glancing at Theo as he shut it behind him. Malia was strapped to a gurney, the operating lights turned low. He gestured at her, “Is this really needed?”

“Yeah,” Theo greeted him with a smile, “We need to keep her restrained in case she hurts herself, or us, it is a painful procedure.”

“But necessary.” Stiles added, nodding to himself. “It is all necessary. Ah, she’s wakening.”

"What the hell is this?" Malia struggled against the restraints as soon as her eyes flicked open. “Theo?” She looked up, seeing Stiles step out of the shadows.

"Hey, it's alright, Theo was just saying that the device is kinda dangerous. You need to stay really still or else you could get hurt." The Alpha Chimera explained.

"You could've told me this before, Theo." She grunted, but settled down.

"I said I'd help you find the Desert Wolf, I didn't say it would be easy." Theo said, turning away from a series of arcane switches and dials, pointing for Stiles to stand opposite him. He reached over to a nearby tray and picked up a heavy set of brass and steel goggles. “Ignore the blood.”

Malia looked uncertainly at the goggles. Stiles frowned. "Shouldn't her head be restrained?"

"What?" She glanced between them.

"No," Theo ignored her, "That will be unnecessary, besides it might help if she can move her head once the device is in place."

"Ok." Stiles motioned for him to continue. “Let’s begin.”

“Here.” He held up the device so she could get a better view and then flicked a switch, five brass spikes flipping out under each eyepiece.

"Oh, come on!" Malia exclaimed.

"This is what the Dread Doctors use to keep track of the chimeras. It seeks out, and hones in on a certain frequency. They gave the chimeras our own unique vibration." Theo explained.

"And how's that going to help me find Deaton?"

"It won't." Stiles replied, catching on, "Supernatural creatures vibrate differently, I'm guessing?"

"Yeah." Theo nodded, looking back at Malia. "This can help you find a were-coyote. The Desert Wolf."

"My mother."

“Exactly.” Theo looked at Stiles. “The frequencies oscillate at different levels, chimeras are easy; we’re right on top. But were-coyotes are rare, much deeper in.” He turned to meet Malia’s confused glare. “You’ll need to really focus.”

"Well, are you going to teach me physics? Or are you going to put your little torture device on my head and get this thing started?" She demanded, as Stiles chuckled.

"You have to concentrate on exactly who you want to find." Theo replied firmly. "You have to make a connection to a memory of her."

"I don't remember a thing about her."

“Well, think about something connected to the Desert Wolf then.”

“Hang on,” Stiles interjected, “That night. The one when she came for you, the crash, the gun firing at the car, whatever fragments of that memory, use whatever you have that will bring you back there.”

Malia nodded and took a deep breath, readying herself, before lying back on the trolley. Theo flipped the spikes back in.

"This is gonna hurt." Theo said with a smile. 

Stiles sighed softly at him. _No need to look like you're enjoying it that much, Theo._

"I don't care." Malia replied. “Do it.”

Stiles gestured for him to continue, watching emotionlessly as Theo placed the device on her face, his fingers making minor adjustments before standing clear. The chimera studied her for a moment, his eyes darting up to meet Stiles’ own. Theo smirked and then reached in to flip the switch; the spikes shooting out and burying themselves beneath her eyes. Malia screamed in agony.

"Don't close your eyes, keep them open!" Theo called out, watching her thrash against the restraints.

"Argh! I can't, I can't!" Blood streamed down her face, every second breath a scream. Stiles matched Theo's eyes and nodded for him to continue. 

"Open them." The chimera commanded. "Malia! Open your eyes!"

She screamed once, before gasping. “Ok, oh god, ok, I see, I see her, I think. It’s a room.”

“Describe it.” Stiles leaned in, but Theo gestured for him to back up. “Tell me what you see, Malia.”

“Deaton, I see Deaton! He’s being tied to a chair, something about the full moon, it has to be a full moon.” Malia ground her teeth and moaned in pain. “Dust, the room is dusty, trucks and, uh, ow, a shield on the wall, the words, fuck, ah god, please.”

“Tell me what it says!” Stiles growled at her, his eyes flashing purple and fangs sliding down into his mouth. “Malia! Tell me!”

“Jewett! Fort Jewett! She’s gagging him, I…I can’t, I need, oh, please, please!” Her voice descended into unintelligible babbling and Theo moved in to take the device away.

“Not yet! I need more than that.” Stiles looked at him, but the chimera shook his head.

“Any more and we’ll do permanent damage.”

“Fine.” The Alpha Chimera snarled at him, his claws leaving gouge marks in the metal of the trolley. “Remove it.”

Theo reached up and ripped the device from Malia’s face, as she gasped in relief, her face streaked with blood. He undid her restraints and she sank to the floor, breathing heavily. “She’s here. The Desert Wolf is in Beacon Hills.”

 

Stiles had turned away, trying to regain his composure as Theo drugged Malia again and escorted her out to the surface. _What the hell was that, Stiles? So desperate for power that we hurt those we once cared about? I suppose “once” is the important word there. And yeah, we need those claws, I need Theo to take the Beast’s power, and then…_ He let his thoughts trail off as he walked around the lab, looking at the specimens, the bloodied tools of the Doctors’ trade. _Is this where my new army will be created? Each of my current chimeras could be a leader in their own right, each with a pack of their own, all answering to me, of course. And Theo, well, he’ll have to stay beside me, obviously; his rightful place. Maybe I will find a place for the rest of them; the Scott’s, the Liam’s? Or maybe they’ll be destroyed? Hmm, I could give them the option to bow and serve me, or refuse and die? Yes, I think so. Wait a minute,_ Stiles stopped in front of the fresco. “What the hell is this?” 

“Their vision of the end.” Theo called out as he joined Stiles. “Malia will wake up on the surface in a few minutes. But this, this is what the Doctors have been working towards.”

“The Beast and the Hellhound?” Stiles asked, glancing at his boyfriend. “Prophesy or-”

“Wishful thinking, more like.” Theo reached down to hold his hand. “Stiles, once we get what we need from the Desert Wolf tonight, we’re one step closer.”

“Not close enough. I need to know more. I need to find Deucalion.”

There was a hiss of escaping air behind them, and Stiles looked over his shoulder to find the Surgeon watching him. 

“On that, our purpose is common.”

“What?”

“I might have mentioned it to them.” Theo whispered in his ear. “They can find supernatural creatures, after all.”

“Ah.” Stiles moved closer to the Doctor, letting go of Theo’s hand. “You know where he is?”

“Yes.”

“And why would you tell me that?”

“Blind werewolves are rare. Blind Alphas, rarer.”

“You want him.” Stiles nodded, looking around the lab. “Experiments? Parts?”

“Yes.”

“I need him alive.”

“We can wait.” The Surgeon pulled a map from his coat and offered it to Stiles. The Alpha Chimera glanced at Theo, who shrugged, and then back at the Doctor. He accepted the map, and looked at the red “x” in the center of the northern boundary of the Beacon Hill Preserve.

“Damn. It’s far, about a two-hour trip on back-roads.”

“Do you want my truck?”

“No,” Stiles shook his head, “I might crack an axle, better to bring the shitty Jeep.”

“Stiles…” Theo reached out to him as the Surgeon turned away from them. “I can do this, I can handle the Desert Wolf alone.”

“I believe you. Just be careful, Theo.” Stiles locked his eyes on his boyfriend’s. “Don’t openly betray Malia if you can help it, we need Scott onside until we can get Lydia out.”

“Lydia?”

The Alpha Chimera gestured at the fresco. “The Beast will chase the Hellhound-Parrish-and he cares about Lydia, a little more than he should.” He mirrored Theo’s grin. “So, we need her to bait the trap for the Beast to fall into. Let’s trigger this final battle on our terms.”

“I like it.” Theo joined him as they walked towards the exit. “So, I get the claws, you get Deucalion?”

“Knowledge is power, Theo, that werewolf knows more than anyone else around here about the supernatural, and if the Beast really is some sort of special werewolf, I’ll bet the blind Alpha can tell us.” Stiles pushed open the door, climbing back out into the tunnel. “If not, then the Doctors get a prize to examine, and maybe we curry a little favour, they might begin to see the benefits of working for me. For us.” He corrected himself after a moment. Theo smirked and pointed towards the exit. 

 

Stiles approached the desk slowly, waiting until the orderly looked up. “Yes?”

“I’m here to see Lydia Martin.”

“Visiting hours-”

“I have twenty minutes.” He broke in, pointing at the clock. “I’m her friend, have a bunch of assignments from her teachers.” Stiles opened his bag to show the woman. “You can look through it if you want.”

“There’s no need, and you’re wasting your time. Lydia’s catatonic.” She stood up, muttering under her breath. “Or pretending to be.”

Stiles waited until the orderly gestured at him impatiently, following her down underground, through the security gates. “Why is she down here?”

“She’s in the isolation cells; it’s for her own protection.”

“Right.” Stiles stopped outside the cell, glancing around. _Identical to Valack’s, except for the monsters. But no way to tell if the same defenses are present._ He nodded his thanks and entered the cell. “Hi, Lydia.”

The woman snorted behind him, but left him with the Banshee, walking back to the security gate. 

He pulled up a chair and glanced around. "Looks like we're alone, at least for now." Stiles reached out to touch her hand. "Huh, warm, not sure what I expected, but it’s not like you're dead, just not entirely here. I hope you understand that it was necessary, Lydia, that what happened to you was an accident, I told Theo to take his claws out, not realising that as Alpha Chimera, I forced him to do it too quickly." He pressed his lips together and sighed. "But that doesn't matter now. The fresco tells me that the Beast has to fight the Hellhound, and Parrish, well he's hard to find, hard to track, even when he’s flaming and naked.” Stiles paused as the image formed in his mind. 

“Mmh, but anyway, I'd rather we have him to bait our trap. So, that means we need you." He sat back in the chair, studying her face, eyes open, seemingly unaware. The Alpha Chimera reached into his bag, looking at the random books he had stuffed into it. "So, I told the orderly up there that I had schoolwork for you, I'm seeing why she scoffed. But, uh, well it was a good enough excuse; I needed to see inside the cell, the layout, the security. Made an alliance with Scott, by the way, I think he'll be useful for our assault here." Stiles smirked, "We could sneak in, but I don't want to hide anymore. Scott and his pack can be the distraction team, knowingly or not, and we will come for you, Lydia." He stopped speaking, hearing the security gate at the far end opening, the sound of high heeled shoes on the floor. “Ah.” He let emotion seep into his voice. "You have to wake up though, come back to us Lydia." 

"I think that's enough." 

Stiles turned to see Mrs. Martin standing in the doorway. He looked at his hands touching Lydia’s.

"Stiles?"

“Yeah, I’m going.” He nodded, preparing to rise, when something caught his eye; a patch of shaved skin on Lydia's scalp. "Wait a second, what? What is this?" He glanced back at Mrs Martin. "What are they doing?"

“It’s for ECT: Electroconvulsive therapy, Stiles. Don’t worry about it.”

“Right, because it kinda looks like the right size for trepanning!” He replied angrily as she entered the room.

“Stiles, visiting hours are over.”

“Is that what you’re doing? Drilling holes into her head? Let the evil spirits out?” He moved back as she glared at him. “You know that practice died out after the Dark Ages?”

"Alright, you need to go." She approached him as if to force him to leave.

Stiles moved back further, looking at her coolly. He paused, remembering the feeling of Kanima claws on his fingers, the thrill of stolen lightning rushing across his skin. _If my pack were here, you wouldn't be._

"Stiles." She said warningly, "You have to go."

"Fine." He replied, smile lingering on his lips, she frowned at him confused, but let him pass. “I’ve seen what I needed to.”

 

He pushed through the iron gates of Eichen House and turned towards his Jeep. Stiles paused when he saw Corey waiting for him, sitting on the hood. 

“Hey Stiles!” The chimera grinned at him eagerly.

“Corey, following me now?” 

“Oh, sorry.” His face fell.

“I’m joking,” Stiles smirked at him, “But it’s good you’re here, saves me the trouble of picking you up. Get in.”

Corey climbed into the front seat beside him. “So, we’re going somewhere?”

“We have a blind Alpha to find. Here,” Stiles passed him his phone as he started the engine. “Call Josh and Tracy, we’ll need them on this one.”

“Hayden too?”

“No, she’s still working Liam.” Stiles met the chimera’s confused stare. “He’s a strong werewolf, if I can have him, I’ll take him. Not like that, jeez.” He shook his head at Corey’s snicker. “You seem to be getting along with Mason?”

“Yeah, he’s cool, and hot.”

“Hehe, you know he’s welcome, right?”

“I know,” Corey replied as he scrolled through Stiles’ address book, “You’ll save us all.”

“Yes, I will.” Stiles glanced at him, before driving on. “You bet I will.”

 

Theo pushed himself up on the metal counter, letting his legs swing freely as he looked at the two of them. He smirked whenever the mercenary glanced his way. _Braeden, you want to kill me, huh? I can smell it, but you’re here, so you must want the Desert Wolf dead too._

"What's the problem?" Malia asked Braeden, gesturing at the map and pictures scattered across the table.

"Aside from the fact that I've never seen this place other than a few aerial photos and we're basically going in blind," Braeden paused, loading her shotgun. "Him." She pointed the gun at Theo.

"Would you mind not pointing that thing at me?" He asked, sliding down from his sitting position until he was leaning against the counter instead.

"He's coming with us." Malia said firmly, “Where’s Stiles?”

“Pack business. Yeah,” He added when Braeden quirked a brow at him. “We have a pack.”

“Are there more of you coming?”

“Nope, Stiles doesn’t want to commit any more of our chimeras to this attack. Besides, I can handle it alone.”

“God damn it, Malia, is he the best you could do?” She looked at the were-coyote. "He tried to kill Scott." 

“Well,” Theo shrugged, “Technically, I did kill Scott. Just for a little bit.” 

"I should kill you."

"Wouldn't happen with a shotgun."

"Stop it! Both of you." Malia interjected. There was a moment of tension and then Braeden put her gun on the table. “Ok.”

Theo looked at them both, "I'll admit that Stiles is the only person I care about, the only person other than myself I've ever cared about. Scott disrespected him, and he paid the price." Theo saw Braeden's finger twitch towards the trigger. "But...Scott's alive, and Malia wants my help, so let's just go."

“You can still go to Scott, Malia. You don’t have to do this.”

“Yes, I do, I have to get Deaton back if nothing else. It’s my fault he got taken in the first place.”

“That is not true.”

“Can we get on with this, please?” Theo called out, receiving another death-stare from Braeden. He smirked. “I got dinner plans!”

“Scott won’t blame you for Deaton getting captured by the Desert Wolf.” She pointed out, ignoring him. 

"But he might try and stop me killing her." Malia replied glancing at the chimera. "Theo won't."

"I'll even help." He broke in, moving forwards. 

"Don't be so confident." Braeden said. "She's known to carry pretty heavy firepower."

Theo looked confused. "What would a werecoyote need with guns?"

“I don’t know the full story,” The mercenary began, “But they say that a long time ago the Desert Wolf lost some of her powers; she’s no longer as fast or strong, so she relies on guns; she’s a perfect shot, sharpshooter from a distance. Even up close, you’ll be in danger.”

“The sun is setting,” Malia broke the silence that followed Braeden’s words. “We should go.”

 

Theo closed the door of his truck as Braeden crouched down to survey the military base through her night-vision scope. He stood beside them, looking at the clustered buildings. “Well?”

"No guards, no lights." Braeden pulled back from the scope and stood, glancing at them. "This place looks completely abandoned.”

"That should be easier for us, right?" Malia asked impatiently.

"Not necessarily, especially if she knows we're coming. Are you sure this is the place you saw?"

"Unless there's another Fort Jewett?"

"Maybe she left?" Theo suggested, "Maybe Deaton's already gone."

“We’re going in!” Malia made to go, but Braeden reached out and grabbed her arm.

“Are you crazy? This kind of open ground is exactly what I don’t like, and who knows what’s waiting for us in there. I’ve been chasing the Desert Wolf for over a decade; she is cunning, careful, underestimating her is the most dangerous thing you can do.”

“Ok, so you’re cautious.” Malia shrugged. “We’ll take it slow.” She moved forward again, more determined. 

Theo glanced at Braeden, seeing her unease, but they followed Malia inside anyway. 

 

It was the second hanger bay that they had entered when Malia stopped dead. “Something’s wrong.”

"Is it a scent?" Braeden asked.

Malia shook her head, “I don’t know, just a feeling.”

“Ok, stay close,” Braeden replied, glancing back at Theo. He frowned at her.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

They rounded the Humvee and Malia rushed ahead, “Deaton!”

Braeden froze, head tilted to one side, then she straightened up and looked at Theo again. He made a slight noise in her throat and her eyes narrowed even more. The chimera smirked at her. "What are you planning?" 

Theo shrugged, "Me? Nothing." He waited until she had almost turned around and then made a sudden move forward. The mercenary reacted faster than he anticipated and her shotgun fired off a round. “Argh!” Theo cried out as the pellets shredded through his arm and shoulder. He was knocked backwards against the Humvee and she glanced around nervously. 

_Oh fuck, that hurts!_ Theo growled, his right arm hanging uselessly at his side as blood dripped down his hand and pooled on the floor. Braeden was distracted, expecting another attack, he had to take her out quickly. Theo pushed himself forward and snarled at her, claws flicking out as his teeth turned to fangs, bright yellow eyes in the semi-darkness. She readied her gun again, but this time he was ready, grabbing the barrel with one hand, his wounded arm protesting as he swung a punch at her head. She managed to hit him with a savage kick to the knee, and Theo lost his balance, falling down, and using his weight to rip the shotgun from her grasp. “Rawrr!” He growled loudly and smacked her with the butt of the gun, knocking her out cold. Theo bent over, gasping for air when Malia ran back to him.

“What’s going on? What did you do?”

“She attacked me! I defended myself.” Theo protested, free hand pressed hard against his wound, the blood welling up between his fingers. The wolfsbane coated pellets didn’t affect him, but his vision swam. Theo dropped the shotgun and staggered out into the open. “Deaton…” He pushed Malia away from him towards the vet. “You need-” The chimera was cut off ruthlessly as the Desert Wolf stormed out of the shadows and brutally threw him against the nearby wall. Theo grunted and collapsed, blacking out.

The sound of falling masonry was the first thing he heard as his eyes flicked open. He could hear the pounding of blood in his ears and it took a minute for Theo to realise that it wasn’t his own racing pulse. The chimera tried to stand, but his vision blurred when he got higher than his knees. He felt the side of his face, the blood tacky and still fresh. More loud sounds came from where Malia had been standing when the Desert Wolf had attacked him. Theo groaned and managed to turn himself around, crawling forward in the space between the wall and an armored truck. He stopped after the rest of the wall came crashing down and the unmistakable roar of the Beast echoed through the hanger. But it didn’t come any closer and Theo continued to crawl along the floor. He stopped again when he came across a sleeping bag. “What the…” The chimera reached out his hand to pick up a jar of claws just lying on the ground near a few open weapons cases. He shook them, grinning as his face was lit up by the electric-blue glow the claws gave off. Theo struggled to his knees and grabbed a nearby shelf for support to pull himself up the rest of the way. “Argh! Fuck.” His breathing was still forced, but he could feel his shoulder healing and pins and needles running up and down his arm. 

Theo jogged wearily to his truck, relieved that it was still there. He fought to get the key into the ignition and pulled out of the military base without looking back. Once he was sure he was far enough from the Desert Wolf and the Beast, Theo pulled in. He pulled out his phone, swearing when he got Stiles’ voice message. “It’s me, look, I got the claws, but I got shot, I’m healing, meet me at the lab, if you’re not already back there. Malia left me for the Beast, yeah, he was there, but, uh, consider any deal with her done. Fuck, I’m still bleeding, what the hell was in that shotgun?” He groaned and let the phone fall out of his hands.

 

Stiles shut his eyes as the Jeep crashed down into another pothole. “Oh, that was a big one.” He revved the engine and the vehicle pulled itself out of the rut. 

“Hey, Stiles? Is that it?” Corey pointed out of the window at a single point of light in the otherwise dark forest. The Alpha Chimera braked and the Jeep slid to a halt. He followed Corey’s line of sight towards a clearing in the distance.

“Hmm, maybe. We need to get closer. I’ll need your eyes when I kill the lights.” Stiles’ eyes flared purple, and the other chimera’s eyes were mirrors when he looked back at them. “Excellent. Let’s go.” He continued to drive, slower and more cautious until he could see into a clearing less than a mile from the uneven trail they were traversing. In the center of the clearing was a single bungalow, as though it had been scooped up from suburbia and dropped in the forest. Stiles frowned. “This is it.”

“You’re sure?” Josh asked, glancing at the map the Doctor had given them.

“Yes. Everyone out.” Stiles barked back at him. 

They approached the house from the front, stopping when Stiles commanded them to. “Alright, Deucalion, this Alpha werewolf we’re going to capture, is strong, fast, dangerous, cunning. He was the Alpha of an Alpha pack, but he was blind once, not sure if he still is. Scott never told me what really happened on the day he let Deucalion live.”

"Once?" Josh asked, sneer in his voice, his tone challenging Siles. 

The Alpha Chimera looked at him, annoyed again. _Watch it, Josh, you little shit._ He could feel Corey tense beside him, looking between them. Stiles took a deep breath. "I'm not sure, and it doesn't really matter, so shut the fuck up unless you want me to stick a grounding rod through your fucking eye!”

The chimera lowered his head in deference and Stiles nodded, satisfied.

“Ok, now here’s what we’re going to do.” The Alpha Chimera gathered them closer as they hunched behind a fallen tree. “Tracy, you need to poison him, I've got a syringe full of wolfsbane to keep him under until we return to the lab. You take Josh and circle around to the rear, capture him there. Me and Corey will flush him out from the front of the house. Work your way towards us.” Stiles paused, looking each of them in the eye, “Deucalion likely already knows we’re here, expect a fight. Remember, I need him alive, no killing blows.” They nodded their understanding. “Ok, Tracy, Josh….go!” The Alpha Chimera watched them sprint towards the back of the house, he patted Corey on the back and nodded towards the entrance. “Stay beside me, fight smart.”

“Ok, Alpha.”

“You’ll be fine.”

 

The door was unlocked and Stiles pushed it open noiselessly, the oiled hinges offering no resistance. He moved into the narrow hallway, purple eyes sweeping left and right. The first room was empty, and then the second too. They moved into the open plan kitchen, the Alpha Chimera stopping dead in the doorway. _He’s here._ The werewolf was standing at the sink, motionless, his back to them, but Stiles knew he had to smell them. _Invisible, Corey._ He moistened his lips. “Deucalion. I know you know I’m here.”

“Stiles? I almost didn’t recognise you for a moment.” The werewolf’s English accent was the same as he remembered it. “I’m guessing this isn’t a social call, not with those others skulking across my lawn.”

“Not exactly.” The Alpha Chimera smirked as Tracy entered from his left and Josh moved in from the patio doors to his right. “Come quietly and you won’t be harmed.”

“Strange that he would send the human.” Deucalion muttered to himself as he turned around, “You are so easily damaged.” His claws flicked out. “I’m not going with you!”

“Your mistake.” Stiles laughed, seeing the flicker of uncertainty race across the werewolf’s face. _Take him._

Josh was the first to move in, snarling at the Alpha, but failing to duck Deucalion’s vicious backhand, the chimera crashing backwards over the kitchen table. Tracy’s attack was more effective, her claws meeting that of the werewolf’s, sparking against each other, but the Alpha had more experience, using Tracy’s over-commitment to trip her and throw her against the sideboard.

Stiles frowned in disappointment, as Deucalion turned his attention towards him. The Alpha Chimera’s eyes flashed purple and it was almost as if the Alpha werewolf could see him, but then Deucalion darted forward, his speed taking Stiles off guard, he leaned backwards, avoiding the first jab of the Alpha’s claws. The second swipe was deflected off the wall when he ducted, rolling out of the way. “Ah!” Deucalion roared and twirled on the spot.

Stiles could see the clawed uppercut coming for him, before he was pushed out of the way by Corey, the chimera moving into his place. The Alpha Chimera reached out instinctively and pulled Corey backwards by the collar of his pullover. “Argh!” Corey’s scream turned into a gurgle as a spray of blood shot upwards. Stiles crashed down onto the tiles, hauling Corey back with him as Tracy and Josh attacked Deucalion together. The younger chimera was moaning in pain, as Stiles got to his knees, pushing Corey into a sitting position. “Let me see. Shit. Ok, ok, it’s deep. Thankfully you heal.”

“It hurts…” 

“No, it doesn’t.” _Stop feeling pain, Corey._ He watched the chimera’s expression change, his eyes glazing over. Stiles ignored the battle raging behind him as he pulled off his jacket and pressed it against the gash that ran from Corey’s collarbone up his neck. “Hold it here. Harder.” The Alpha Chimera stood up slowly, his eyes burning purple in the dark room. “Deucalion!”

The werewolf dropped Josh and turned to face him, “Something _is_ different about you, Stiles.”

“You have no idea.” The Alpha Chimera let electricity engulf his body, drawing from Josh as it pooled in his hands. “Time for you to find out, though.” He stretched his hands outwards, releasing the electricity in a stream, slamming into Deucalion’s chest. The energy arced across the werewolf’s body, making him cry out in pain. “Tracy! Take him out!” 

She slashed viciously up his back, crying out as the current jumped into her, blackening her arm. “Argh!”

Stiles ignored her pain, moving instead towards Deucalion. He knelt beside the struggling werewolf. “How…you…can’t…” His words were broken, falling from rapidly numbing lips.

“I am the Alpha Chimera,” Stiles smirked at him. “It’s a term you’ll come to know very well in the future.” _Jacket, Corey._ He reached into his jacket pocket as Corey held it out to him, pulling out the syringe of wolfsbane. “There’s enough here to make you a very sick werewolf long enough for us to get back.” Deucalion didn’t respond, unable to. Stiles stood up, pointing at him, “Take him to the Jeep, put him in the trunk and inject him.” Tracy nodded, nursing her scorched arm, while Josh limped over to pick up the werewolf.

As the adrenaline of the fight began to wear off, Stiles looked over at where Corey was sitting, still clutching his blood-soaked jacket to his neck. “Show me.”

Corey pulled the jacket back, grimacing, his hands slick with blood. “It doesn’t hurt.”

“I stopped it, like this morning when you were panicking.” His tone was softer and Stiles pushed the chimera’s t-shirt to one side. “You’re beginning to heal. It’ll be slow because he’s a werewolf. Thank you, Corey. You saved my life.”

“Guess we’re even now, huh?” He managed a small smile.

“Right.” Stiles echoed his expression. “C’mon, let’s get you up.”

 

The door creaked open and Stiles looked up from where he was holding a gauze pad to the side of Corey's neck. “Theo. Finally!” 

"Stiles. What happened?" Theo looked around at them, before he was pulled into a crushing hug by his boyfriend. “I’m ok, seriously.”

“I got your message, Theo, I was afraid that-”

“No, no, I’m fine.” Theo waited until Stiles had stepped back, “Shoulder took a little longer to heal. But it looks like you took some damage too?”

"The werewolf was reluctant to come. At least he hit the chimera who can heal." He smiled a little nodding at Corey. "I probably would have bled out if it wasn't for him."

Corey's eyes widened and he looked at the Alpha. Theo frowned, but moved closer to them. "Let me see? Ah, deep, but you'll heal." He patted Corey on the head, gesturing for Stiles to follow him.

“He did good, Theo.”

“I guess he has his uses, more than just looking pretty.” Theo shrugged. “I wouldn’t have thought he was much of a fighter though.”

“Well, blame the Dread Doctors.” Stiles replied. “He’s invisible, but he has no claws, no teeth, no exotic abilities to make him a fighter. He saved my life Theo, willing to take a death blow.” He moved closer to his boyfriend, so only he could hear the Alpha Chimera’s words. “I will take that loyalty over a thousand self-centred chimeras who care only about their own survival.”

“‘Loyalty has its own rewards’, isn’t that what you said, Stiles?”

“Mindless soldiers are easy to create, Theo, and they will be in due time. But that, what he just did, do you think Josh would do that? Or Hayden? Or even Tracy?”

“I see your point,” Theo conceded, turning the conversation back to the werewolf. "But you got Deucalion, right?"

"Of course, a few scrapes and bruises, other than Corey's, nothing major." He moved around the corner to show Theo the werewolf bound to a chair, wolfsbane IV attached, encircled in mountain ash, and flanked by Josh and Tracy, their eyes glowing in the semi-darkness. "I've kept them transformed, in case he tries to make a move."

"How will he do that?"

"Well, maybe it's more for demonstrating our power." Stiles smirked at his boyfriend.

"We should start questioning him." Theo said, opening his jacket so Stiles could see the claws in his pocket, the blue glow reflected in his eyes.

"Excellent. Malia?"

"Alive, I think, it was brutal. But the Alliance is intact."

“Good, you’ll have to tell me all about it later tonight.”

“I did say I had dinner plans.” Theo chuckled to himself as Stiles frowned.

"Hmm, well, let's begin." Stiles smirked at his quizzical stare. "He's been awake for a while."

"Right you are Stiles," The man's clipped, precise voice made them turn to him. "I may be weak, blind, and bound, but I can still hear you."

"Did you tell him?" Theo asked. 

"No." Stiles walked closer to the werewolf. "Why spoil the fun?"

 

Stiles listened as Theo talked about the Beast, the Hellhound, the events that had befallen Beacon Hills. The werewolf was following him, nodding his head, but the sightless eyes were fixed on the Alpha Chimera. “Tell him about the chimeras, Theo.”

“Right. So-”

“Don’t.” Deucalion broke in, “I enjoy a challenge; what have you become, and why you are giving orders, Stiles? I thought this was Scott’s idea.”

“Hardly,” The Alpha Chimera replied coolly, “Scott is…not involved, we’re allies, but not friends.”

"In that case, I might help you, I know what it is you want: The Beast of Gévaudan."

Stiles exchanged a look with Theo. 

"History's most vicious, most famous werewolf." Deucalion added.

"Little bit of professional jealousy there?" Stiles quipped. Deucalion ignored him, turning to fix his sightless eyes on Theo.

"And you think I'm going to show you how to steal its power? You are the werewolf, aren’t you?"

"He is. But you don't have to," Stiles said, "We have a plan to deal with it. I need to know what you know. So, name your price, your freedom is guaranteed." _Even if your survival isn’t._

"Generous." The werewolf turned his head, nostrils flaring. Corey approached Stiles, his wound healing, the blood having clotted fully. "There it is again. I first smelt it in my kitchen. Most unusual company you keep, Stiles! Are these the chimeras you speak of?"

"What do you want?" Theo repeated Stiles' question, seeing his boyfriend shake his head, refusing to answer the werewolf.

"Scott, I bet." The Alpha Chimera suggested, "He took your pack from you."

"Perceptive as always, Stiles." Deucalion flicked his claws outwards, "I want his eyes on the tips of my claws." 

“Leave us.” Stiles flicked his head, waiting to speak until Tracy, Josh, and Corey had walked away. “There is something else. Scott has Deaton, we’ll have to settle for you. Theo?”

Theo took out the glass jar containing the claws, shaking them until they turned blue. “I suppose I have to tell you, don’t I?”

“Hehe, so you do want to steal the Beast’s power? And your little chimera helpers don’t know it? Keeping secrets from friends is never good, Stiles.”

“Shut up, and tell us what you know!” The Alpha Chimera growled, electricity arcing from his fingers. “You look entirely too comfortable, Deucalion!”

“Stiles.” Theo reached for him, “We have the time to wait. Let him sit here, pumped full of wolfsbane, the Doctors will take a look, he’ll be ready to talk in the morning.”

“Fine.” Stiles touched the metal of a nearby trolley, grounding the sparks with a crack. “It’s almost a pity Scott didn’t kill you when he had the chance.”

“Oh, Stiles, you know Scott isn’t capable of that.” Deucalion replied, his tone veering between amused and condescending.

“I want you to hear me, listen to my heart,” The Alpha Chimera crouched in front of the werewolf. “So, that you understand perfectly, that you won’t be experiencing that kind of weakness from me.” He straightened up after Deucalion settled back into his chair. “Let’s go home, Theo.”

 

Theo watched Stiles finish wiping the blood from Corey’s pale skin, the long bandage winding up his neck. The chimera was healing slowly, as the Alpha Chimera had predicted. He tilted his head, listening as Stiles tried to put the younger teenager at ease.

"C’mon now, Corey, you’re going to have to heal a little faster than that if you want to keep that date with Mason!”

“Hehe, I guess.” Corey blinked, and looked past Stiles, his eyes connecting with Theo’s as he leaned against the breakfast bar, “Thanks, Stiles.”

“You’re welcome, first aid is actually coming in handy.” He stood up and walked over to Theo. “You ok?”

“Yeah, is your loyal soldier alright?”

“He’ll survive.”

“And Deucalion? Are we going to give him what he wants?”

“Really, Theo?” Stiles laughed, “The wolf is at our mercy, as long as he believes that he’ll get what he wants, he’ll give us what we need.”

"And after?"

"Kill him, let him loose, I don't care." The Alpha Chimera shrugged. “Their kind will be of limited value in the new world we are building; useful for parts, but little else. Perhaps if they prove loyal…”

“Or are very handsome?” Theo smirked at him, “I know how your mind works, Stiles.”

The door opened suddenly as Hayden staggered through panting. Stiles frowned and walked over to her. “Hayden? What is it?”

“Malia…brought…Deaton…back.” She took a deep breath, recovering, “She said the Desert Wolf attacked her, something happened between Theo and Braeden, she wasn’t clear, Scott is furious though.”

“Hmm.” Stiles glanced at Theo. “Liam tell you this?”

“He wants me to live,” She nodded, “He’s almost on your, our, side.”

“Good, keep pushing, Hayden. Get something to drink.” He waited for her to pass and then looked at Theo. “Well? What happened?”

“Braeden turned on me, probably why Malia is being vague. I defended myself, the mercenary is alive, but then the Desert Wolf blindsided me, I hit my head, went down hard, only came to when the Beast was breaking down the wall to get inside. I managed to get away then.” Theo finished his story, glancing at Stiles. The Alpha Chimera nodded, picking up his phone as it vibrated against the table.

“It’s Scott.” He answered, “Yeah? We’re not in long, plenty to tell you. Oh? Yeah. He’s here, I know Scott, Theo just filled me in. It doesn’t matter how angry you are Scott, I…I see. Well, I suppose I can forgive this offense. In fact,” Stiles paused, grinning at the gathered chimeras. “I have a plan I need to discuss with you, in person. Oh no, don’t bother, I’ll come to you. Yeah.” He hung up, “He’s stressed, but there’s more going on than a simple misunderstanding.”

“So, he’s over it?”

“Did you want Malia to be punished?” 

“No,” Theo replied after a moment’s pause. “But what plan did you mean?”

“We’re freeing Lydia.” Stiles grinned. “And showing everyone who we are.”

 

Stiles flattened the map of Eichen House he had stolen from his father’s office. “Ok, we know about the ley lines and the other defenses. I’ve been inside more times than I’d like, so I know where we need to go to get her. It’s the getting into the facility that’s the problem. Or, maybe not, with our particular set of skills.” He looked at Josh, “The guards carry Tasers and electro-batons; you’ll be leading the charge, Josh. Tracy, you’ll take out anything that gets in our way, and along with Theo, are the muscle for our break-in. Corey?” 

The younger chimera blinked at him, putting down his phone. “Huh? Oh, uh, yeah?”

“What is it?”

“Nothing, just Mason.”

“Good, keep at him, the less people Scott can call on, the better. And the more that we have, of course.” Stiles added, before looking back at the map. “You’re going in early, blend in, observe until the moment is right, then you’ll join us.”

“What will I do?” Hayden asked him, looking uncomfortable.

“Scott’s pack will be in there, a distraction, Liam too. Until he has pledged his loyalty to me, to our pack, I cannot risk you in the same place.” Stiles explained. “You will stay with our new guest, keep an eye on Deucalion, and ignore anything he says; he’ll try and turn you against us.”

“I suppose you’re right, Stiles.”

“I am.” He stood up straighter, looking around at all five of his chimeras. The Alpha Chimera’s eyes flared purple, “We will get Lydia out of that wretched place no matter who or what stands in our way. Any sacrifice is necessary. The Beast has already killed over twenty people that we know of, and it will kill countless more unless we stop it. You have all seen the fresco, it matters if those two monsters meet; a lot more people will die. We take Lydia, we gain more control over the Hellhound, buy ourselves enough time to stop their battle, and save our town.” He finished speaking, catching Theo’s gaze. _Or maybe not. Now that we have the claws, we are almost ready to take its strength. It’s almost time for a new power to rise!_

 

Stiles grabbed his keys from the sideboard, glancing at Theo. “I’m going to meet Scott, I won’t be long.”

“Wait, you shouldn’t go alone.” Theo got up from where he had been sitting next to Corey, the younger chimera glancing at him when he thought Theo wasn’t paying attention to him. 

“Well, Tracy and Josh aren’t exactly suited to diplomatic missions, and you did try to kill him. Hayden is comprised because of Liam.”

“So, take Corey.”

 _Really? You want me to spend more time with the guy who gets hard every time I come close to him? What’s your game, Theo?_ Aloud he nodded slowly, “I suppose power is power.”

“Yes, it is.” The chimera replied, expression impenetrable. He pushed Corey upright. “Off you go.” Theo watched them leave, seeing Stiles frown at him.

“Why did you do that?” Tracy asked him, sitting on the edge of the couch.

“It’s practical, like Stiles explained.”

“Yeah, but we can all smell it: Corey wants your boyfriend.”

“I know,” Theo smirked at them. “But Stiles is mine, he’s not going to cheat on me.”

“So, it’s a test?” She frowned, confused. “For Corey?”

“I’m messing with him a little, yeah, testing him, I guess.”

“Careful, Theo,” Tracy warned, standing up. “His father is an asshole, pulled the same kind of crap, until Stiles put a stop to it.”

“Huh, so that was his reward.” Theo muttered, looking out the window as Stiles’ Jeep pulled onto the street. 

 

Stiles knocked on the door of a house that was more familiar than his own. Scott opened, smile fading when he saw Corey standing behind Stiles. “Hey.”

“Hi.”

“The pack is all here, well, it will be now.” Scott smiled again, glancing at Corey when the younger chimera made a noise in his throat. “Come in.”

“Thanks.” Stiles reached back and pushed Corey inside first, muttering in his ear. “Control yourself!”

“Sorry.” The chimera whispered, his cheeks flushing.

They were gathered in the sitting room, standing around a table, a map of lay line currents on it, Eichen House circled. Stiles smirked. “Great minds think alike then!”

“That’s what you’re here to discuss?” Malia asked him cautiously.

“That’s right.” Stiles stood in the gap they made for him and Corey, looking at each of the pack individually, until his eyes came to rest on Scott. “We’re good at infiltrating, and I know the layout better than anyone. But if we don’t work together, Scott, people are going to get hurt. You can stop that from happening; keep the way out clear. I know you can’t go into the lower levels where Lydia is being kept.”

“And who gets to keep her when she’s free?” Kira asked him sharply.

Stiles shook his head, slowly, “It’s not about that, Kira, Lydia needs to get out of there; it’s a cell, and I’m pretty sure her Mom has authorised them to start trepanning; parts of her scalp are shaved, but not the right areas for ECT. I looked it up.” He added. They didn’t meet his gaze and Stiles could smell their distrust as it lay heavy over the table. "Look, you can have her back with you if that's what it takes. We can do this alone, but I figured you'd want in. Or are you not her friends anymore?"

"We're friends." Scott quickly pointed out. "Just like we're friends with you, Stiles."

"Allies." Corey corrected bluntly before the Alpha Chimera could reply. Stiles half turned to him and smiled. The chimera was blushing as everyone looked at him. 

"Right." Stiles looked back at Scott. "Do we have an understanding?"

"Sure." Scott sighed. "This is what we know..."

Stiles listened to Scott talk, his eyes glowing faintly as he pulled on Corey's powers without using them. Kira and Malia shared a look, and Stiles glanced at them. _This what glory looks like, my friends, and soon you will kneel or you will die._


	15. Precipice

“So, I’ve been thinking,” Theo started as Stiles sat down beside him, handing him a can of soda. “This, uh, plan of yours; the real one, um.”

“Yeah?” Stiles smirked at him, not used to seeing Theo hesitant. “Taking over the world, right?”

“That one.” Theo caught his eye, serious. “How exactly are we planning on making that happen? I mean, I understand that getting the Beast’s powers will help but-”

“I’m tired of following Scott.” Stiles broke in, “He doesn’t have vision, none of them do, all they want is to hold the status quo: the hunters are bound by some honor code, the werewolves try and keep to their packs, and everything else; the Kitsunes, the Kanimas, hell even the Nogitsune, they all kept things local. Sure, some of their damage hit humans, but they never revealed themselves, all the supernaturals keep hiding.”

“And we shouldn’t hide?”

“No.” Stiles took a sip from the can in his hand. “Why should we? We’ve got power, Theo, and with the Beast’s added to our own, we can really start to use it. Look at your future; you could be stuck in some boring nine-to-five job for forty years after you graduate high school or college. But you’d still have werewolf abilities. Scott wants to be a vet, for fuck’s sake! He’s a True Alpha! But does he care about that power? No. Does he use it? No. I’m the Alpha Chimera and I will use my power. And I’m not saying that we should become criminals or some sort of super-pack, I’m talking about a literal fucking empire!”

“Ok,” Theo swallowed, his pulse had increased as he listened to Stiles talk. “But how are you going to do it? You can’t just proclaim yourself Emperor, and expect everyone to bow down.”

“I’d prefer if they knelt.”

“Right.” He chuckled, “But people will resist.”

“They’ll be made an example of.” Stiles replied coldly, leaning forward to make his point. “With five chimeras, I can take on Scott and his pack, with ten, the Hellhound, twenty; the entire Sheriff’s Department, hunters, the goddamn National Guard if needs be. Can’t you see it, Theo? A thousand chimeras all funnelling me their power and I reflect it back at them. Nothing will stand in our path!”

“You want to make new chimeras?”

“We’ll need an army to conquer the world, and one to maintain order. The Dread Doctors will comply, or we will find new ones to carry on their work.”

“Why do I have the feeling you’ve thought about this way too much?”

“Probably because I have.” Stiles shrugged. “Before I was made into the Alpha Chimera, it was just something I played around with in my mind. I always hoped Scott would take a more direct approach, that he’d actually use his powers to give him an edge. But he never did.” He shook his head, eyes fixing on a point in the mid-distance. “The world is full of problems Theo, and we are the solution.” 

Theo watched as his eyes flared purple and the Alpha Chimera flicked werewolf claws from his nails. He looked down at his own hands and watched his claws emerge. “Stiles?”

“Hmm? Oh.” Stiles blinked and looked at him. He smiled. “Our claws match, don’t they?”

“You are mimicking me, and they’re mine to begin with.”

“Yours?” Stiles sheathed them and smirked, “I suppose.”

Theo watched him suspiciously for a moment, but then he reached for his can. His attention distracted, Stiles jumped on him, playfully wrestling him down onto the floor.

“Don’t you know you belong to me, Theo?!” He mock-growled, hearing his boyfriend’s laugh muffled against his chest.

“Rawrr!” Theo snarled in his throat and bucked Stiles off him, trying to crawl out of reach. The Alpha Chimera dived back on him instead, pushing him into the carpet, leaning on top of him with his full weight. “Stiles!”

“Nope. Not getting up!” Stiles shifted his weight as his bulge pressed against Theo’s pants. He rested his head on the chimera’s back and reached out with his hands to stop Theo using his arms as leverage against him. “Mmmh, comfortable.”

“I could just flip you over!” Theo muttered, tilting his head to look at him.

“And I could immobilise your body if I wanted to.” Stiles replied, grinning widely at him, grinding against him. Theo groaned under him, and Stiles moved up to plant a row of kisses along the chimera’s neck. “You’re so hot, Theo.” He nuzzled against his boyfriend and sighed contently.

Theo smiled to himself, his fingers interlocking with Stiles’ as he heard the Alpha Chimera’s heart beat slower, “Hey! You’re not falling asleep on me, are you?”

“I might, feels nice.” Stiles muttered.

“Are you gonna keep humping me like that too?”

“Mmh, I thought you liked it when I challenged your dominance?” Stiles pulled one of his hands back so he could push Theo’s t-shirt up and run his fingers across his boyfriend’s hard pectoral muscles.

“Yeah, ok, but can we move back to the couch if we’re gonna-” Theo broke off, looking towards the kitchen table. He tried to stand up, dislodging Stiles.

“Theo?” He rolled off the chimera and looked at him. “What is it?”

“The police radio. I thought I heard something from it.”

“Yeah, probably, I’ve kept it low so we could see if the Beast appeared at night.” Stiles picked up his phone to check the time. “It’s after ten.”

Theo stood up, brushing himself down, and moved over to the table. He picked up the radio, twisting volume higher. There was nothing but static for a few seconds and then a voice. “Dispatch, this is Unit Eight, I say again, I am in pursuit of a large unidentified animal that is veering into the oncoming traffic lane. Requesting backup for capture and retrieval.”

Stiles joined, his face flushed, but expression serious. “Is that what I think it is?”

"You were right." Theo muttered.

“Unit Eight, this is Dispatch, stand by, do not engage the animal until backup arrives.”

“Copy that, Dispatch. Animal is still moving south on Highway Fifteen towards Beacon Hills at a rapid pace.”

“Acknowledged, Unit Eight. Can you identify the animal?”

“Unit Eight, Dispatch, that is a negative, animal is extremely large, possibly a bear, I don’t know. Uh, stand by, animal has changed course, is now proceeding down Washerman towards downtown, requesting ETA on additional units, over.”

“Dispatch, Unit Eight, confirm backup is seven minutes from your location. Sheriff Stilinski is inbound.”

“10-4, Dispatch.”

Stiles turned the volume down and matched Theo’s gaze, “Ok, let’s go.”

"What about the claws?"

"Not yet." Stiles shrugged. “The last time, at the high school, there was still a chimera there. Let’s see if that’s changed.”

 

The Jeep sped across the wet tarmac as Stiles urged it onwards, hoping to catch up to the three police cruisers and his Dad’s SUV ahead of them. Their sirens screamed in the night, flashing lights blocking out any clear sighting of the Beast. He turned a corner, skidding hard as Theo glared at him. “Stiles!”

“Sorry. Fuck, hang on.” He changed gear and the engine roared louder, giving him more speed. “Ok, ok, turn up the volume on the police scanner. There!”

Theo reached out to the machine and twiddled the knobs until the police officers' voices became clearer. 

“Unit Five heading northwest on Crescent, can confirm sighting of uh, an incredibly large…something.”

“Unit Nine to Dispatch. I think I’ve got eyes on the same thing. It’s some kind of rabid animal.”

“Unit Five to Nine. Trust me, that’s no animal.” 

Stiles glanced at Theo, “Guess Deputy Clark is figuring out the truth.”

“Is that a problem?”

“She’s Hayden’s sister. And Hayden is…” He didn’t finish as Theo nodded.

“The weak link. Right.” Theo fell silent as another deputy spoke up.

“Unit Six to Dispatch. We have a situation downtown involving multiple fatalities, requesting medical and additional backup.”

“That’s Deputy Strauss.” Stiles muttered as he followed the cruiser in front of him around another sharp bend.

“Dispatch, Unit Six, Medics on the way. Re-directing Unit Ten to your location, fourteen minutes out. Do you have a perp in sight, Unit Six?” 

“Negative. Looks like a 1091-E: Animal Attack.” 

“10-4, Six. Can you say what kind of animal?” 

“Negative, if I had to guess, I'd say the thing that hit the Sheriff's car a few weeks ago? It was big, ripped the cars apart.”

“Copy that, Unit Six. Medical has five minutes ETA.”

Stiles swore under his breath. “It’s leaving a hell of a trail of destruction.”

“So?”

“Oh, I’m not complaining, I’m just imagining what we’ll be able to do once we control that power.” Stiles grinned at him. Theo returned the expression and then frowned. “What?”

“Your phone is ringing.” He reached into the cup holder and pulled it out. “It’s Scott.”

“Answer it, loudspeaker.” Stiles pressed on the accelerator as the Deputies’ vehicles began to pull away from him. “Hey Scott, little busy.”

“I know, I passed the accident on my way home from the hospital. I’m on my bike at the corner of Beachwood and, uh, shit.” He paused, taking a breath. “I can see it coming straight for me.” 

“Get outta there, Scott! You can’t take it, not alone, and probably not even with your pack.” Stiles instructed him, “The Beast is taking the long way around, but it could be heading for the hospital.”

“Yeah, ok.” There was the sound of the engine being kicked into gear. “I’ll follow along the side-streets, keep out of its way.”

“Right.” Stiles gestured for Theo to cut the line. "That'll distract him."

“Are we going to get there first?” Theo asked, grabbing the side of the door as Stiles skidded around a corner, the tires screeching in complaint.

“Yeah, my Dad will clear a path, and it might not even be heading that way.”

"Hmm." Theo took his other hand from his pocket, blue light spilling out between his fingers.

"Theo?" Stiles glanced at him. "I said not to bring those!"

"Too important to leave behind Stiles," He argued. "We should take the chance if we get it."

"Yeah, well-" He broke off as another sighting came over the radio.

“Unit Eight to Dispatch. I have eyes on the suspect, it, err, it's stopped in the middle of Oak Ridge. Preparing to approach.”

Stiles glanced at Theo. "He's gonna get ripped apart." He reached over and grabbed the mic. “All units stay back. Do not engage. I repeat. Do not engage!”

“Stiles! Get off the radio.” The Sheriff’s angry voice came over the line. “All units, remain alert. Wait for backup. Repeat. No one goes near this thing.” 

“Unit Eight, standing down, suspect is mobile again, resuming pursuit.”

“Unit Five reporting a sighting off Hill Road southbound.” 

“Unit Nine. I’ve got it turning off Oak Ridge, southbound on Beachwood.” 

“All Units, Dispatch. We’ve got a 911 call with an additional sighting on Mitcham.”

“Fuck. It is the hospital.” Stiles swore loudly, picking up the mic again, “Dad-” 

“Stiles, get off this channel!” 

“For fuck’s sake, just listen to me, Dad!” Stiles saw Theo’s eyes flash as they caught sight of a huge dark hulking figure on the road ahead of them. “He’s heading for the hospital. All right? He’s headed for Beacon Memorial. Do you hear me? He’s headed for the goddamn hospital!”

“Copy that.” The Sheriff replied curtly. “All units re-route to Beacon Hills Memorial, Unit Eight maintain visual and advise if suspect animal changes course.”

“10-4 Sheriff, Unit Eight maintaining visual.”

 

“Why do you care so much, Stiles?” Theo asked him as they approached the hospital. “When we seize control of everything, the Sheriff and the Deputies will be the first to oppose us.”

“Maybe.” Stiles admitted, “But remember that my Dad thinks I’m still human, and I don’t want to give him something else to worry about if I’m not acting the way I should be. Besides, if he’s busy chasing after the Beast, he won’t realise that the true threat has been sitting under his nose the entire time.” He grinned darkly at his boyfriend, “Us.”

“You’re fucking nuts.” Theo muttered as Stiles’ grin widened.

“That’s why you love me!” He glanced at the radio as his father spoke again.

“Unit Five, Clark I need eyes on Parrish. Does anyone have Parrish’s 20?”

“All Units, Dispatch. We have a 911 emergency call reporting a man on fire running into Beacon Memorial. Medical is unavailable, provide assistance as needed.”

“Clark, disregard my last.” 

Theo looked at Stiles, "Is this it? The final battle already?"

"No, the Beast still doesn't know who it is. At least I hope not." Stiles shook his head as he shifted up a gear. "I don't think Parrish even knows who he is. Stick to the plan, Theo, we will get our power eventually."

"Right." 

 

Scott was waiting for them by the emergency doors as Stiles followed Theo’s determined push through the crowds of panicked patients and staff. “They’ve evacuated everyone.” The werewolf explained. “But it’s here, I saw it jump the fence over by the Burns Unit.”

“That’s twenty feet high!”

“Yeah. It’s big.”

“C’mon, let’s go.” Theo brushed past Scott and pushed open the doors. The werewolf went inside ahead of them as the chimera frowned and grabbed Stiles’ arm. _Someone’s here._ He turned quickly, growling, the noise dying in his throat as he came face-to-face with the Sheriff’s gun.

The man stared at him and then held a finger to his lips. "Shhhh!"

 _Real subtle, Dad._ Stiles made to roll his eyes when an enormous impact shook the hospital above them. Then, a loud, low growling roar echoed around them, seemingly coming from everywhere. Stiles winced, but the sound was not as devastating as it had been in the high school. He exchanged a look with Theo as Scott rose from his crouched position. The Alpha glanced back at them and pointed at the ceiling. 

“Fourth floor.”

“Let’s go.” Stiles stood to one side, allowing Scott and his father to move ahead of him, while he and Theo brought up the rear.

The Alpha Chimera could hear their rapid pulses echoing his own as they walked slowly towards the fourth floor. It seemed Parrish had come this way, the walls were burnt, cracked and blackened, fire alarms screamed around them, flashing yellow and red lights threatened to confuse and daze, but Stiles pressed on, feeling Theo move closer to him, his boyfriend alert and cautious. _Ever protective-Theo, huh? Ok then. I feel it, the Beast is close._ They pushed open the door from the emergency stairwell and emerged into another hallway, as badly damaged as the ones below, but the walls here were still burning; purple flames sticking to the surface like napalm. Stiles waved his hand in front of one of the patches, the heat forcing him away after a moment. “Damn, hot.” He muttered as Theo glanced his way. Stiles shrugged and they moved onwards, their feet forging a trail through ash and dust and the discarded files from the nursing station around the next corner. He stopped a few feet behind his father and Scott, holding up his hand for Theo. _Wait._ Theo looked at him, frowning. Stiles nodded up ahead of them to where Scott and the Sheriff were approaching a bend in the hallway. “There’s something-”

His words were interrupted by the sudden rush of heat and fire as Parrish was thrown backwards, colliding with the wall and spreading a gout of flame outwards in an arc around him. Stiles shielded his face with his arm, even as Theo turned away, the heat blasting his face. 

The Hellhound’s fire was extinguished and Stiles blinked his eyes rapidly to adjust to the sudden darkness. He could see the Deputy’s burnt and blackened skin had become more red than the pale white he had seen before. Long, smooth cuts ran diagonally across his naked chest, and Parrish had raised his hand to inspect his injuries. Stiles moistened his lips and moved past his father as another roar echoed towards them, shattering whatever glass was left in the hallway. The Alpha Chimera covered his ears and inched closer as the debris and smoke began to clear. He glanced back to see Scott and the Sheriff kneeling by Parrish’s side. Theo joined him and Stiles looked up to see the Beast hunched over in the middle of the corridor, illuminated by the burning wreckage around it. 

Stiles felt a sort of calm come over him as he walked slowly towards the Beast, Theo looked at him, frowning, but followed his boyfriend cautiously. The Beast was just standing there, as though expecting his approach. Its chest was heaving with exertion, lipless mouth ajar, as bluish, black blood dripped from scorched wounds on its muscular legs. Stiles stopped a few feet away from it, as close as before, still feeling the tendrils of a power that was almost his. It was fainter this time, there was less of a chimera to hold it in place. Stiles frowned, but reached out with his hand. The Beast snorted, the feral intelligence in its glowing eyes watching his arm come closer. Stiles took a careful breath as his fingers brushed the rough surface of the Beast's flesh. "Yes." He whispered softly. "Yes, give in to me." 

The Alpha Chimera winced, head tilting on one side as pain lanced across his temple. The Beast didn't react, other than to meet Stiles' eyes, shimmering white stare against royal purple. And for a moment they were connected; chimera to chimera... _Yes! This is it! This is…what…_ Stiles blinked again, although this time it felt like he was opening his eyes. His body shook, shoulders quaking as though extra muscles were about to burst through his shirt and when the Alpha Chimera looked down at his arms and hands the images warped before his eyes; one moment human skin, the next the Beast’s black flesh superimposed on his own. Claws that were more akin to daggers seemed to appear from meaty fingers before shifting back to his ordinary hands. But the physical transformations were nothing compared to the ocean of darkness that swallowed the Alpha Chimera’s mind. Stiles grinned widely, eyes burning bright purple as he saw himself sit upon a carven throne, a hundred chimeras flanking him as Scott McCall fell to his knees before him. The werewolf spoke words that never made it to the Alpha Chimera’s ears, but he laughed anyway. The tide receded and Stiles looked up into the Beast’s blindingly bright blue eyes, their connection almost forged. “You are Awak-”

"Stiles!" Scott sudden shout from behind them caused the Beast to pull away, snarling at the interruption. 

“No!” Stiles cried out as he stumbled backwards, the link shattered. The Beast roared at him, and the Alpha Chimera looked away, clasping his ears with his hands as the monstrous werewolf punched through the nearby wall, scattering masonry and flame across the hallway.

“I got you!” Theo pulled Stiles towards him protectively, saving him from the falling debris. The Alpha Chimera was mumbling incoherently and Theo hugged him tighter. He looked backwards, seeing Scott crouching, red eyes blazing in the billowing dust cloud that rushed down the hallway, obscuring everything in sight. But the Beast was gone.

“Ugh.” The Alpha Chimera staggered upright, touching the trail of blood that had dripped down from his forehead. Theo’s hands were around his waist immediately, steadying him.

"Are you alright?"

“I'm fine, Theo.” Stiles looked at him, smiling, “I saw it; the throne, the empire, our victory, everything. It was glorious! It will be glorious.”

“Right. Uh, so it’s still a chimera?” Theo asked uncertainly.

“There was a moment of resistance, but enough of it remained, almost enough to awaken him, make him mine.” He met Theo’s curious gaze. “The chimera, the teenager it is using is male. I sensed that much. I was so close, all that power.”

“Uh.” Theo swallowed, unnerved by the hunger in his boyfriend’s eyes. _Something definitely happened, I wonder is this what the Dread Doctors wanted all along?_ He looked away from Stiles as a glint caught his eye. “Hey, there’s tracks over here. And blood. Wait, this...this is impossible.” He pointed at the tracks as they changed from clawed feet to bloody shoe prints. 

“Excellent, looks like Parrish did us a favour.” Stiles crouched over the tracks, his phone out. "If we know the Beast's shoe size, we can find the teenager." He stood up and returned to the hallway. Scott had pulled the Deputy upright, but Parrish still seemed out of it. _All that power…_ The thought echoed in his mind constantly as Stiles looked at Theo. “Destroy the evidence. The Beast disappeared.”

“Yes, Alpha.”

 

The Alpha Chimera walked back towards the Deputy and his Dad, ignoring Scott's concerned face, as he forced his scent into anxiety, letting go of his excitement. He let his eyes roam over Parrish's smoke streaked, dirty skin, the tattered remains of his clothes hanging along his waist. _Those are some nice, flame-retardant pants you got there, Parrish!_ Stiles felt more like himself as his cock started to harden. Theo stared at him and even Scott looked at him in surprise. _C’mon guys, it’s Parrish, hottest Deputy in Beacon Hills! And he’s all hot and dirty and about as close to naked as I’m ever gonna…_

“Stiles?” Theo said to him meaningfully.

“Uh, what?” He tore his eyes away from the Hellhound’s torso and instead met the Deputy’s gaze. "You alright, Parrish?"

"Yeah, err, yeah." He seemed dazed, confused. Parrish looked down at his body, his pulse rocketing, chest heaving as he started to panic. “What did I do?”

"Hey, you should stay calm, it's over." Sheriff Stilinski offered his hand, but Parrish ignored him, walking towards the lobby slowly, using his finger along the wall to guide him. “Alright boys, I’m going to follow him, make sure he’s out of sight by the time the cavalry shows up.”

“Ok, Dad.” Stiles ripped his eyes away from Parrish’s retreating back to see Theo smirking and shaking his head. “What?”

“Nothing. You’re unbelievable, you know that?”

“I’m not going to do anything!” Stiles protested as Scott looked between them, confused. “He’s got a thing for Lydia, but if he’s gonna walk around all hot and half naked…you telling me you didn’t look?” He raised a brow and smirked suggestively at Theo.

Scott pulled on Stiles’ shirt before Theo could respond. “Stiles?”

The Alpha Chimera’s expression hardened and the smile fell from his face. He pulled away and moved closer to his boyfriend. “What?” 

Theo smirked smugly at Scott, seeing the werewolf frown, his nostrils flaring. _Oh? What’s that you smell, Scott? Stiles’ scent all over me? Yeah, I’ve got the guy you want so badly to be your best friend again all to myself. But it’s more than that, I’ve got him in ways you never can! I’ve sucked him, he’s sucked me, he’s even swallowed my load. So, I’m inside him, he’s mine in ways you can’t possibly understand!_ The chimera met Scott’s eyes before they flicked to Stiles.

"What were you thinking? It could have ripped you in half!" Scott berated him, even as his cheeks heated, Theo’s smirk growing bigger.

"It didn't." Stiles shrugged, avoiding the werewolf's eyes. "It bolted as soon as you drew its attention."

"Are you blaming me?"

“No, I just...there's nothing here, Scott.” Stiles shrugged, as though tired. “Arguing about it won’t make a difference, we should just go.”

 

“Stiles, there was something else.” Scott spoke to him again as they exited the hospital, making way for the Sheriff’s Deputies to clear the building. “Deaton has discovered something. Something about Eichen House, he wouldn’t say over the phone, but I think he knows what might be happening to Lydia.”

“Oh?” Stiles glanced at Theo. “You want me to come?”

“Well, we’re breaking her out together, sharing knowledge is part of our…” He stopped seemingly unable to finish.

“Alliance?” Stiles prompted.

“Yeah.” Scott’s reply was small, bitter.

“And I’m guessing you don’t want Theo to come with us?”

“Not really.”

“And there I was thinking that we were going to be friends, Scott.” Theo smirked at him. “I mean, it’s fine, but-”

“A chimera needs to be with the Alpha Chimera at all times.” Scott finished for him. “I’m not trying to take your power away, I just don’t want any…complications.”

 _Such as the complication of me killing you? Again?_ Theo mock bowed to the werewolf and looked at Stiles, but his boyfriend was distracted.

Stiles walked over to his Jeep, feeling the chimera’s presence as much as he had come to recognise the odd scent when he was concealed. He leant against the bumper and smirked at the other two, appearing to talk to thin air. “Been hiding here long?”

Corey emerged from the other side of the hood and shook his head. “No. I was cycling back from Mason’s when I saw the lights. Then I saw the Jeep and figured I should wait for you.”

“Hmm.” Stiles nodded approvingly.

“Wait, shouldn’t you be at home already?” Scott asked, “What about the curfew?”

“What about it? It doesn’t really apply to us.” Corey shrugged. “Why are you guys here?”

“Deaton has some information for us, Scott doesn’t want Theo to come, however. Still holding that grudge, huh?” Stiles smirked.

“He tried to kill me!”

“Tried and succeeded.” Theo corrected him. Scott snarled at him and the chimera backed off, holding his hands up. “Ok, ok, take Corey, he’s no threat to you.”

Stiles looked at Scott, “Is that an agreeable compromise?”

“Fine.” Scott turned to leave. “I’ll meet you there.”

“Put your bike in the back, Corey.” Stiles glanced at Theo. “You want a ride?”

“No, I’m going to take a run, if you catch my meaning?”

“Yeah.” The Alpha Chimera tried to hide his disgust. “Just make sure you wash your hands afterwards, ok? Like, scrub them.” _I don’t even want to think about him as a wolf, on four paws with…No! No! No! Stop it, Stiles, he’ll smell how creeped out you are._

“I got it Stiles, don’t worry. I’ll take a shower when I get home.” Theo nodded at Corey and began to walk away.

 

Corey didn’t say anything until they left the hospital parking lot, but Stiles could smell his nervousness. After looking at the Alpha Chimera and quickly looking away again, Corey eventually asked him. “What was that about?”

“With Theo?”

“Uh huh.”

Stiles was silent for a moment, before answering. “He can turn into a wolf, like fully shape-shift.”

“Wow, cool!”

“No, Corey, not cool. I don’t like the idea that my super-hot boyfriend is out there running around on _paws_ and peeing up against trees.” Stiles replied angrily.

“Oh. Do wolves do that?” He sank into his seat as Stiles glared at him. “Sorry.”

“He knows I hate it too.” The Alpha Chimera muttered darkly. “He’s probably punishing me.”

“Uh, is it…” Corey didn’t continue, but Stiles shook his head.

“No, not really. I mean, maybe, I know you like me.”

“I’ve been kinda obvious, huh?” Corey asked with a sheepish grin.

“I don’t think you could have made it more obvious, Corey.” Stiles laughed, “Trust me, I appreciate your loyalty and your belief in me, it’s why I like having you around. Your charming personality and good looks don’t hurt, either.” He added, seeing Corey blush.

“But Theo is the one?”

“Yes, he is.” Stiles replied softly. They drove on in silence until they reached Deaton’s clinic. The vet’s car was parked outside, but Scott hadn’t arrived yet. “Corey, I’m not sure what Deaton is going to tell us in there, but just remember that…” He struggled with the words.

“You’re my Alpha, Stiles, I follow your lead. And I know that you draw your power from me, just like being near you makes me more powerful.” Corey supplied for him.

“Couldn’t have said it better myself.” Stiles smiled at him as Scott’s bike skidded into the yard, gravel spraying up everywhere. “Ok, let’s go.”

 

Stiles and Corey followed Scott into the exam room, the younger chimera glancing around. The Alpha Chimera noticed that Corey moved closer to him when Deaton emerged from the room at the back, a plain brown folder in his hands.

Deaton paused for a moment, looking at the three of them one by one. He turned to Corey. “I’m Dr. Deaton, you must be one of the chimeras?”

“Yeah, I’m, err, Corey.” He offered his hand to the vet, but Deaton just stared at him, his lips slightly parted.

Stiles frowned and glanced beside him, seeing the bottom half of Corey’s body blending into his surroundings. _Oh, crap._ He gave the younger chimera a sharp jab in the ribs. “Hey!” _Stop it! You're safe._

“Sorry.” He muttered, blushing and avoided their eyes.

"That looks like a nasty scar, Corey." Deaton said mildly as he laid the folder on the metal table, taking the contents out carefully.

"Stiles fixed it." Corey mumbled, softly.

"What's this about, Deaton?" The Alpha Chimera asked, nodding at the folder. "Scott said it was important."

"What I'm about to show you, isn't supposed to exist."

 _Always a good start..._ Stiles looked at him, and then flicked his eyes down to the photos as Deaton began to lay them out in a row from the stack in his hand.

"This is the only surviving evidence of Dr. Valack's time as Chief Medical Officer of Eichen House. To call it human experimentation would be charitable." Deaton looked at the pictures, his scent sliding into disgust.

Stiles heard Corey's pulse increase as he looked at the grisly photographs. Scott reached out and picked one image up that had caught his eye. Stiles looked over; a young woman screaming at the camera, tossing in her bed, hands pressed to her ears.

"A Banshee." Deaton said grimly. "She died screaming."

Stiles frowned, noticing a pattern. "So, he drilled holes into their heads. All of them?"

"That was the experimentation part."

"Hmm." 

"Why?" Corey asked, glancing at Stiles first, then at Deaton.

“He did it to werewolves, Banshees, Wendigos, any creature he could get his hands on.” Deaton began to explain. “What Valack found, was that trepanation did initially heighten their powers, but to levels that couldn't be contained.”

"So, he wants to make Lydia more powerful?" Scott asked.

"Yeah, except she's gonna end up like them." Stiles pointed at the disfigured monsters in the photos.

"Worse, actually." Deaton interjected. "Lydia's abilities were already pretty exceptional to begin with. Putting a hole in her head, will be like putting a leak in a nuclear reactor."

"Oh, great." Stiles muttered drily. "So, we have a monster made of shadows and muscle, a man who is consumed by fire at the most unpredictable times, and now a nuclear Banshee..."

"She'll hear everything." Deaton continued, ignoring Stiles' comments. "Every death, every dying scream, all at once."

"That's going to kill her." Scott said.

"Not only that," Deaton looked at each of them in the eye, "But her dying scream might be powerful enough to kill everyone around her too."

Stiles looked at Scott. "Now, do you think we should work together? Get Lydia out?"

“I was never against the idea, Stiles, but Theo is-”

“Let me worry about Theo,” Stiles broke in. “And really, Scott, you don’t have much of a choice. You need me, you need all of my chimeras. Because even if we do get into Eichen House, I don’t think Valack is going to give up his prize without a fight.”

“That’s what I’m worried about Stiles.” He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Can’t you ask your Dad? See if he has some way to get Lydia out without a fight?”

“Yeah, I guess it wouldn’t hurt.” Stiles nodded. “I can go to the station tomorrow. Plus, those pictures might come in handy, if you can spare a few.”

Scott waited until Deaton nodded his agreement. “Ok. I’ll gather my pack and we can start to figure out a good distraction.”

“I will get Lydia out, but if we’re going to do this, Scott, we do this in the next twenty-four hours.” He looked at Deaton. “How big of an impact radius would Lydia’s dying scream be?”

“I don’t know. The ones in his previous experiments killed those in the same room, or a few rooms around them.” The vet took a breath. “Like I said, Lydia is already so much more powerful than any Banshee I’ve encountered. It is possible that she could take out the building.”

“The town?”

“I can’t say, Stiles. But you’re right, Lydia needs to be taken away before Valack gets to her.”

Stiles frowned at him. “I don’t care if she’s already had the trepanning, we’re getting her out of there!”

Scott smiled at him, “I’m glad to hear that, Stiles.”

 

Theo finished drying his hair and pulled on his trousers when the door opened. “Hey Stiles.”

“Theo.”

“How it’d go with Corey?”

“Don’t you mean Deaton?”

“Right.” He didn’t look at Stiles until the Alpha Chimera forced his head upwards, purple eyes drilling into him.

“I don’t care about your jealousy, Theo, because I don’t have time for it. So, I’m going to say this once: I love you.” Stiles saw the chimera’s eyes widen. “I might talk about how attractive other guys are, I’m sure as hell going to think it, and I might even openly flirt with them, but I will _never_ cheat on you. Do you get that? It’s not going to happen. So, you can either continue to be possessive and jealous about who I spend my time with and what chimeras I use to bolster my abilities, or you can accept that this is me. I’m a horny teenager, I like looking at guys, but I’m with you, and I can’t see that ever changing.” He released Theo from his forced gaze and let his eyes fade back to brown.

“I’m sorry, Stiles.” Theo said after a moment. “You’ve overlooked a lot of my flaws, I guess I should do the same for you.”

“Good. Because we have an empire to build.” He flashed the shirtless chimera a grin. “But, first we need to break a Banshee out of the madhouse!”

“The pack’s downstairs. I’ll finish getting dressed and join you.” Theo stood up, but Stiles reached out and pulled him into a tight hug.

“Together until the end, Theo.” He pulled back, looking into Theo’s eyes.

“Anything for you, Stiles.” The chimera whispered, kissing him softly.

 

“Ok, Scott’s working on his side of the plan; they’re the distraction.” The Alpha Chimera warmed his hands on the fire as he looked around the room at his pack, five pairs of eyes reflecting his own purple glow. “We already know what we’re doing; infiltrate, kill any in our way, find the Banshee, and deliver her from that evil place. Make no mistake, the guards will try and stop us, but if Scott’s distraction works well enough, they’ll be kept away from us.” He looked at them. “Questions?”

"So, why are they the distraction?" 

"Ego, arrogance, delusion, whatever you want to call it, Tracy." Stiles shrugged. "They want to feel involved, and I'm pretty sure he is curious if there's an ulterior motive for why we're breaking her out."

"What about Valack?" Corey asked, looking at him. "Is that not good enough reason to rescue Lydia?"

"Yeah, but we wanted to get her out before that, and Scott wants to know why."

"What did you tell him?" Theo asked.

"That she's my friend." Stiles replied after a pause. "That we couldn't leave her in that awful place. Deaton's information just makes it all the more urgent."

“What information?”

“Lydia’s a ticking time bomb.” Stiles replied shortly, nodding at Corey.

"If we're too late Lydia could kill us all!"

“It’s true,” Stiles confirmed, “Valack will use trepanation to amplify her powers and in doing so will make her unstable. She could be a powerhouse or a loose nuke.”

“I don’t like the sound of that.” Josh grumbled under his breath.

“Yes, it’s risky, but when I was there yesterday they had already shaved areas of her head.” Stiles looked at them “Valack is getting ready to perform the operation. We must strike within the day.”

"So, do you know what the distraction is?" Theo asked.

"Based on what they talked about yesterday; Kira will trigger a brown-out, resetting all of the gates, the alarm system, all electrical systems, everything goes back to default mode. By that time, we should be inside." Stiles explained. “But if she messes up, she could trigger the lockdown mode.”

"Lockdown?"

"The lockdown would only be activated by a total blackout, so we better start hoping that Kira got her shit together in New Mexico. The guards we could handle easily, but everything will be shuttered, locked down, and getting out would be tricky."

“I can see Scott actually being useful here.” Theo commented drily. “The guards will find them instead of us?” 

"Right, and knowing Scott, he won't want to hurt them, so he'll either back off, or lead them on a merry chase around the building." Stiles looked at them. "I wouldn't worry about Scott trying to get to Lydia first, the walls are reinforced with mountain ash."

"And Scott is ok with that?"

"He doesn't have a choice if he wants to see Lydia again. Inside the closed unit, we have all the power. Outside might be different, however. So, we’ll probably need to use her as a bargaining chip to get out of there safely.” Stiles examined his hands, blinking as the images from the Beast flickered across his eyes again; normal fingers morphing to massive, thick clawed digits. He shook his head, aware that they were staring at him. “Ok. Any more questions?”

Silence.

“Very well. Corey, I need to make use of your unique talents.”

“Yes, Alpha?”

“Follow Kira,” The Alpha Chimera met his gaze. “Do nothing but observe, she could not control her powers when she left, I would like to know if she can do so now that she is back.”

“As you command, Alpha.” He inclined his head.

Stiles blinked. _That’s a new one. But I like it, it fits._ He dismissed them with a wave of his hand. “You may leave.” He watched them as they rose; Theo remained sitting, staring into the fire, Tracy was going to the kitchen to raid the fridge, Corey headed upstairs, spending the night again, and Josh lingered near the doorway with Hayden. Stiles turned away from them, kneeling so he could look directly in to the flames. _Soon it will be a reality. The Beast knew what I wanted, he knows how to make it happen. Soon, the world will be remade by my design, and all chimeras will give me their power, all the humans will bow down before me, and the werewolves, and the Alphas, they will kneel before the might of Emperor…Stiles? Emperor Chimera? Alpha Emperor Chimera? I need to work on that part._ Stiles chuckled to himself.

 

"Heyyy, Deputy Strauss!" Stiles leaned on the desk, as the young officer frowned at him. He offered him a toothy grin. "How's it going?"

“Good, I guess.” He replied, confusion in his voice.

“Are you busy? I bet one of the most awesome Deputies in Beacon Hills has lots to do!”

“Um,” Deputy Strauss frowned at him as Stiles flicked his eyes up and down the man’s body overtly. "Wait, are you trying to flirt with me?"

"I'm obviously failing." 

"And don't you have a boyfriend anyway?" He looked at Stiles dead-on.

"Uh, well yeah. But-"

"What do you want?"

"Where's my Dad? He's not in his office, not answering his cell, not answering the radio..." Stiles tilted his head at the Deputy. “I kinda need to get into his files, it’s not a big deal, he usually lets me do it all the time, but the cabinet is locked, and I figured-”

“You figured sucking up to me would help?” Deputy Strauss broke in.

“Well, not so much sucking up, as just sucking…” Stiles grinned at him.

"Err." The Deputy’s brows shot up, and he half-smiled, but then it disappeared instantly and he sat up straighter in his seat. “Sheriff!”

"Stiles!" The Sheriff barked at him as he entered the station. "My office. Now!"

“Ugh…” Stiles' shoulders slumped and he dragged himself into the office, glancing back to see a little smirk on the Deputy's face as he looked down. _Ah ha! I knew there was something between us! Damn, Theo, ever since we started dating, all the hot guys are after me._ Stiles stopped grinning when he saw his father's serious face. “What?”

“What the hell were you thinking last night?”

“Huh?”

“Aside from the fact that you were breaking the curfew that I ordered, it is a felony to misuse police equipment in a manner that impedes a law enforcement officer from executing his job.”

“Uh, really?” Stiles looked at him, but Sheriff returned his stare, expression serious. “I don’t-”

“Relax, Stiles.” The Sheriff broke into laughter. “It’s good to see that I can still get you!”

“You were…Dad! We’re kinda in the middle of a shit-storm right now.”

“Language, Stiles.” The Sheriff sighed, and looked out of the blinds at Deputy Strauss. “Why are you harassing my deputies anyway?”

“I needed to talk to you. Clark always gets you, and if I nag Parrish long enough he’ll call you in.” Stiles shrugged as though this was just another day. “I don’t know Strauss though, not much. He’s kinda young though, isn’t he?”

“Fresh recruit, yeah.” The Sheriff scratched his chin and turned back to Stiles. “So, here I am.”

“Can you get Lydia out of Eichen House?”

“What?”

“Deaton told me and Scott about how Valack used trepanation to increase the power of supernatural creatures when he was the CMO at Eichen. I have pictures.” Stiles pulled them out of his pocket and offered them to his father. “As you can see, they’re all dead or dying, painfully, in the case of the Banshee, she takes the entire cell block with her. I’ve seen Lydia, Dad, I know what they’re about to do. You have to be able to do something!”

"I’ll try everything I can, but her Mom is her legal guardian, Stiles." He dropped the pictures on the table. "She's the only one who can check Lydia out of Eichen House."

"Can't we get a court order, or something?"

"Technically trepanation is still considered a medical procedure."

"In what state?!" Stiles exclaimed, furious. 

"A judge would have to declare Natalie unfit, which isn't likely." The Sheriff continued, shrugging. "It could all take months."

“We don’t have months.” He paced around the office. “If she’s already had the ‘procedure’ then we could be talking days, hours even! Dad, Lydia’s death scream will take out at least a block, if not the whole damn town!” _But, it does mean that my way is the only one for us to get Lydia out. Sorry Scott, you’ll be bowing to me on this one._

“I know Stiles, but my hands are tied.”

"Alright, so you're saying there's nothing we can do?"

The Sheriff met his eyes, as though aware that something bigger was afoot. "I'm saying that there's nothing we can do, legally."

Stiles smirked. "We might have an idea about that."

“The less I know, the better. Just be careful.”

“I will, I’ll have Theo with me.”

“Right, because that makes it safer.” The Sheriff muttered.

“Huh? I thought you liked him?”

“I’m having a hard time liking the guy that that punched a hole in your best friend since fourth grade.”

“I’m sorry you feel that way,” Stiles shrugged, “But Theo will keep me safe, you can trust him to do that much.”

“Sure.” The Sheriff replied curtly. “Look, Stiles, I’ll see what I can do for Lydia, maybe her Mom will listen to me.”

“Well, you were meant to go out on that date, remember?”

“Out, Stiles!” The man pointed at the door as Stiles chuckled. “Go on!”

The Alpha Chimera closed the door after him, looking over to meet Deputy Strauss’ gaze. 

“Did you get the file you wanted?”

“Uh, not exactly.”

“Hmm, ok then.”

“Hey Strauss, your theory on these attacks…”

“Yeah?” He sighed and looked up from the report he was working on. “You going to mock me again?”

“No. I wanted to show you something, a little prelude.” Stiles smirked at him.

The Deputy glanced to his right, lowering his voice. “Your Dad is literally next door, dude.”

“Hehe, not that kind of prelude.” Stiles laughed. “But I like you, and I think you deserve to have your faith rewarded.” The Alpha Chimera leant on the desk, moving in so he was a few inches from Strauss. The Deputy was staring right at him, curious, and Stiles flashed his eyes purple, letting them linger as Strauss’ mouth opened.

“Woah.”

“Exactly.” Stiles pulled back before any of the other deputies noticed his odd behaviour, the purple fading. “There’s a change coming, Strauss, more will be revealed in time.”

“I won’t tell anyone.” There was an edge of excitement in the man’s voice and Stiles grinned.

“Good. See you later!”

 

Theo looked over the book shelves carefully, pulling down one dusty volume after another, searching for the Doctors’ notes on the chimera known as Belasko. _It has to be here somewhere, they always record the experiments…_ The chimera glanced at the jar of talons he left on the table beside him and then renewed his search. Theo coughed as a cloud of dust descended on him from the top shelf. “Ah!” He pulled out a newer looking book and opened it. “Let’s see…experiment on a Wendigo, I remember him, a little further,” He flipped through the pages. “Yes! The talons, direct graft into flesh. Complex, but, I’d need another set of hands. Yes, ok.” Theo closed the book after he took a photo of it with his phone, remembering that Stiles had done the same the night before with the Beast’s tracks. He looked at the shelves, searching for the space the book belonged. A slim volume covered in aged red leather, different from the rest, caught his attention. “Hello.” Theo opened it, his heart immediately beating faster. _The Overmind Experiments._ “Oh wow, ok.” He moistened his lips and flipped to the first entry, reading the Surgeon’s meticulous handwriting. 

_The Overmind organ has been found, as fresh as the day it was created. I should not have expected any less, but the canopic jars around it were broken, a miracle that it even survived, if you believe in that sort of thing, of course. The jar describes a “Ritual of Awakening” intended to turn the one who is the Overmind into a vessel for its powers. This is the day everything changes, we can finally start work on returning Sebastien to us._

“Sebastien?” Theo whispered, confused. He turned the page.

_The first experiment was a failure; the Overmind was too powerful for the boy, died on the table, blood running from every orifice. Distasteful._

_The second experiment is better, the Overmind was implanted into the girl with no trouble. The Pathologist has suggested that it is learning, that it will take pieces from each chimera until it has enough knowledge to work. Perhaps he is right, the Overmind is more than a mere organ, but I don’t think it has that level of intelligence. The chimera has already shown signs of controlling others around her, but she is cruel, making them do things that hurt them, damaging the controls of our experiment…The second experiment has been terminated; she attempted to escape, using the other subjects as a crude ladder to climb to the top of the pit. If my colleague is correct, I hope this cruelty does not transfer._

_The third experiment will be the last. The Overmind has failed us, the boy was barely strong enough to hold on through implantation, and though intelligent, he did not have the leadership to control the chimeras. Perhaps something more is needed? The Geneticist believes that a combination of bio-chemical agents and a singular intense infusion of agents between chimeras will achieve success. I am unsure, but if we try again, perhaps the Overmind can have a better chance than this feeble attempt. The werewolf and the were-otter ripped him apart, but the torso was retrieved before they could consume it._

Theo blinked and re-read the last sentence to himself again. “Fuck, Corey is kinda normal by comparison, and none of us are cannibals. Is this it? Oh, a final entry. It’s new…”

_The Overmind has been implanted again, this time it will take, I am sure of it. The timing between finding the perfect host for Sebastien’s resurrection and now this teenager for the Overmind? Yes, it will take._

_The chimera we have assigned to protect the Overmind has become attached, a weakness I did not expect from our first true success._ “Weakness?” Theo muttered, feeling his cheeks heat. He turned the page. _The Overmind has been Awakened through the use of the ritual; chimera blood spilled by his hand, but the chimera guarding it now calls it the Alpha Chimera. A fitting title, but we will see if he lives up to the promise given to his name…The Overmind, or Alpha Chimera-as even the Pathologist has come to call him-grows from strength to strength; taking a pack, binding them to his will, seeking out power, and finally our plans converge. Once the Alpha Chimera and Sebastien’s vessel interact; once one is Awakened by the other, the Battle of Destiny will occur, and our purpose fulfilled. But I am worried about this Overmind; as charismatic as the first experiment, as clever and cunning as the second, with all the leadership the third lacked, truly he is a chimera without equal. If he takes control of my dear friend’s vessel, if the darkness that we have poured into that innocent boy is shared with the Overmind…No, I should not let such thoughts weigh me down, tonight the vessel-_ Theo stopped reading as he heard the doors at the far end of the lab grind open. He hurriedly replaced the book and walked over to see Stiles entering.

 

“Theo.” He greeted his boyfriend warmly. “Did you find what you were looking for?”

“I think so.” Theo hesitated, deciding not to mention the history of the Overmind to Stiles. “What are you doing here?”

“A few questions for Deucalion. You might go to the school, make sure Scott’s on track?”

“I’ll wait for you in the library.” Theo moved in, kissing Stiles on the cheek. “I’ll see you later, try not to have too much fun!”

Stiles smirked at him and shook his head. “Fun? Yeah, not much risk of that.” He walked slowly over to the bound werewolf. 

“Stiles? It is, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. We’re going to have a chat, Deucalion.”

“What? No little minions scurrying about?” The werewolf sat back against the glass wall. “Can I at least get a chair?”

“No.”

“Oh, well then what would you like to know?”

“Why did you want Scott in your pack?” Stiles dragged a stool over and sat down, glancing at the wolfsbane tank. “Well?”

“This is ancient history, Stiles.” Deucalion shrugged. “Fine. A True Alpha is a rare thing, I wanted to add him to my collection.”

“But why?” Stiles pressed. 

“To form the perfect pack of killers, of Alphas. Somewhat like you, I too wanted those who have unique talents.” He sighed. “But it was not to be.”

“I don’t care about what happened, I want to know why you did it? Was it for the power? Was that the end goal?”

“I suppose, being the most powerful werewolf with the most powerful pack gives certain benefits. I wouldn’t expect you to understand, Stiles.”

“Quite the contrary, Deucalion.” Stiles laughed grimly. “I understand perfectly, but you, like every other supernatural creature, you all seem to see power as the end. My vision is not so limited!”

“Why the questions, Stiles? Why this topic and not about the fabled Beast?”

“It’s simple actually,” The Alpha Chimera stood up and begun to pace. “Why do you stay hidden? If you were going to be the most powerful werewolf, why not use that power?”

“And what? Carve out a little kingdom for myself?” The werewolf laughed before descending into a coughing fit. He accepted the bottle that was thrust into his hand. “Thank you. Hunters, Stiles. I know they’ve been missing around these parts for a while, but they’d come in a heartbeat if I went public, as it were.”

“I see. Hunters?” Stiles repeated, “Mountain ash, wolfsbane, sonic emitters, that sort of thing?”

“Yes. We have no defence against those attacks.”

“Hmm, you know that hunter weapons don’t work on us, right? Not sure about the sonic emitters, but…” Stiles shrugged as Deucalion looked at the source of his voice, realisation slowly creeping across his face. The Alpha Chimera laughed. “Yes, that’s right.”

“You can’t!”

“But I will. You won’t be able to stand against me, Deucalion, none of you will. Once I have the Beast to do my bidding, or better yet, once my chimera steals the Beast’s powers, then I will be unstoppable!” Stiles’ eyes burnt purple, a distorted reflection in the glass showing the mad zeal in his gaze through a twisted lens. “The hunters will not be in any position to stop me, in fact I would like to see them try, and use their broken corpses as an example to those would dare defy their Emperor.”

“Emperor?” Deucalion repeated, before laughing. “And I was called crazy for creating an Alpha pack?”

Stiles shook his head, preparing to leave. “Good talk, Deucalion.”

“Wait, Stiles, I have to know; how exactly are you going to steal the Beast’s powers? Ah, the talons! Of course, I heard the rattle when you brought me in.” Deucalion smiled grimly.

Stiles shrugged, before he remembered Deucalion couldn’t see him. “Oh?”

"I know the claws were made by the Dread Doctors."

"So?"

"So, Theo thinks he can just slide them on his claws like a couple of press-on nails?" The werewolf gave a dry laugh. "Good luck with that."

"Really?" Stiles smirked at him, "And why is that?"

"The Dread Doctors would have designed them with a specific frequency for a specific person." Deucalion looked at the spot Stiles had been sitting in previously. “The talons are a bit more complicated than a simple upgrade.”

“Well, thank you for that, Deucalion,” Stiles muttered.

“I am your source of information, remember?”

"On the werewolf," The Alpha Chimera reminded him. "I don't think you understand as much about the Dread Doctors as you say you do."

"Your funeral, Stiles, or rather," Deucalion paused meaningfully. "His funeral."

Stiles stared at him, masking his emotions and keeping his pulse steady. "Well, losing Theo would be unfortunate, but glory demands sacrifice, Deucalion, and I am willing to risk that Theo knows more about the Dread Doctors’ science than you do." He turned away, “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some bait to collect.”

 

Theo looked up as Corey stopped at his table, breathless. “Is Stiles here?”

He put down the Biology textbook he was sleeping through. “No, not yet. Talking to Deucalion. Sit down, Corey.” The younger chimera hesitated before sitting furthest away from him. “I won’t bite.”

“Funny. Stiles said the same thing, except him I believed.”

“Oh, so the baby chimera does have teeth!” Theo mocked him, “And there I thought you were still playing the meek and mild card.”

Corey didn’t reply, shaking his head.

“What’s the matter, Corey? You think you’re better than me? Purer? And you probably are, but that just means that I’m in a better position to protect Stiles. I’ll get my claws bloody.” Theo hissed at him. “You need to start leaving my boyfriend alone.”

“Hey, he chose me, he resurrected me first!” Corey replied sharply. “And you have nothing to worry about Theo, he’s not interested in me like that.”

“Oh please, he might not be drooling over you in person, but I know what Stiles is like.”

“Then you should know he’s not going to cheat on you.” Corey protested. “Anyone who’s stupid enough to make a move on him with you as his boyfriend deserves to be ripped apart!”

Theo was about to respond when the library doors opened and Stiles entered. He avoided Corey’s eyes until the Alpha Chimera was standing in front of them.

“Is there a problem, guys?” _Both your pulses are racing and Corey is blushing, so what happened now?_ Stiles looked at Theo, before flicking his eyes to the other chimera. “Well?”

“No.” Theo shook his head.

“No, Stiles.” Corey muttered. “I only came to tell you that Kira is still as unsuccessful in managing her power. The physics lab is covered in broken glass, and I think she took out the rest of the grid with her last attempt.”

“Yeah, janitor was flipping the breakers as I came in.” Stiles nodded. “Good work, Corey. You better head to Eichen House before afternoon visiting hours close.” The chimera nodded and walked away. Stiles turned to Theo. “You going to tell me what was really going on before I arrived?”

“Nothing,” Theo shrugged even as Stiles quirked a brow. “Just a friendly little chat.”

“Oh, one of those?” Stiles replied, but Theo gave nothing away. After a moment, he sighed. “Where’s Scott?”

“Upper level, as far away from me as he could get.”

“Hmm. Sun is setting soon, we need to confirm that he’s on board.” Stiles looked up to see the werewolf watching him. “Ok, let’s get out of here, wait until he leaves.”

 

Stiles moved out of the shadows when Scott reached the front of the deserted library. The Alpha frowned, as though sensing something was wrong. He turned in time to see Theo walk around the doorway to his left. The chimeras glanced at each other, smirking. "Scott."

"Stiles." He answered warily. "I thought we weren't meeting up until later."

"We aren't. This is more of an informal talk,"

"A little reminder," Theo finished, as they began to circle the werewolf. "We just want you to know how much we value our alliance."

"Err."

“And we don’t want anything to get in the way of rescuing our friend tonight.”

“It won’t.”

“Good.” Stiles replied as Scott turned slowly, trying to keep them both in sight. “We assume that you’ve remembered that we’re the only ones who can make it past the mountain ash barrier?”

“Yeah, I know.”

“Good, good.” Stiles repeated, stopping. “This is a very important part of the puzzle, Scott, Lydia is valuable to all of us.” 

“And she’ll have a critical role in building our new…world order.” Theo added, receiving a furious glare from Stiles. “Uh, I mean, in making everything calmer, without the Beast.”

Scott frowned at him, looking between the chimeras. As he opened his mouth to speak, Stiles moved towards the doors. “We’ll leave you to it, Scott. See you on the other side.” The Alpha Chimera grabbed Theo’s arm and marched him out of the library. Once they reached the quad, Stiles laughed. 

Theo glanced at him, “Do you think I over-played that?”

“No, Scott needs it obvious.” Stiles grinned at him. “That should keep his mind occupied.”

“Off-balance is no way to go into a major operation.”

“Exactly.” Stiles nodded happily. “Let’s grab Tracy and Josh, and find us this Banshee.”

 

Stiles dropped Tracy off at the rear of Eichen House, reaching out to her before she exited the Jeep, his eyes cold and voice hard. "Do what you must, get those gates open!"

She nodded and grinned, baring her fangs, and moved into the shadows. Stiles watched her scale the iron fence and then pulled the Jeep around to the front, parking in the quiet street. He joined Theo and Josh as they watched the gate security guard passing by on his rounds. The Alpha Chimera glanced at the two chimeras, closing his eyes. When he opened them again, his bright purple orbs were matched by two sets beside him. He looked down at his werewolf claws as a crackle of electricity arced across them. Stiles nodded at the gates on the other side of the street. "Josh, go check on them." The Alpha Chimera waited until he was alone with Theo. "Was it a success?"

"I only found the book, it'll take longer before I can graft them directly on."

"Dangerous?"

"Perhaps, it would be easier with the Doctors’ co-operation." Theo shrugged.

"Hmm." Stiles considered it for a moment, then shook his head, "Not yet, we will have to force them to comply, and..." He stopped, "I could take them."

"Huh?"

"Full chimera power, like in the tunnel when we confronted Scott, that was a power I haven't felt before, total control, like you gave everything to me."

“More like you took it.” Theo replied, an edge to his voice.

“Yes. That is my purpose, Theo.”

"I know. But they have to be alive. And the Doctors won't co-operate if they know what we're truly after." Theo shook his head, "I can do it alone, if you help me?"

"Of course, but-"

"No, Stiles, I've seen them graft more complicated creatures together, these are just claws."

"Ok. After tonight," Stiles agreed, looking up as Josh waved at him, the gates were open. "We’re in."

 

Stiles walked calmly up the stone steps as Tracy dragged a dead guard into the bushes, the spilled blood of his slashed neck on the paving by the gate. _Can’t be helped._ The Alpha Chimera was joined by Theo and Josh, he paused in time to see another guard approaching them. The man reached for his radio. _Josh, go!_ Stiles smiled grimly as the chimera leapt into action, grabbing the guard’s Taser baton and laughing as the current went through him. Stiles clenched his fist as the crackle of electricity transferred to him. “Hurry up, Josh!” He called out. “Take him out.”

“Yes, Alpha.” Josh growled in response and he re-directed the current back across the guard's chest, his enlarged fangs jutting out over his lips. 

"Gate's clear, I took out the cameras too." Tracy called out.

“Ok,” Stiles looked up, "We need to move quickly, it's already 8, Kira should be triggering the brownout now."

Theo walked over to the lobby doors, holding them open for the Alpha Chimera to sweep through. _Looking regal, Stiles. I’m beginning to believe in your crazy dream. You remind me of someone…_ Josh and Tracy flanked the Alpha Chimera as Corey peeled himself away from the wall where he had been standing for the last four hours. Theo completed the group, looking over at his boyfriend.

Stiles came to a stop in the center of the lobby as the orderly spoke to them, not even looking up. "Visiting hours are well past over."

Stiles smirked and nodded at orderly, laughing darkly, "Oh, we're not here to visit."

The man looked up, his pen falling from trembling fingers. Theo glanced at Stiles and then at the nurse, "We're here for Lydia Martin."

"You, you can't!" He stuttered over his words, looking at the five pairs of burning purple eyes in front of him. “She’s not…you can’t!”

Stiles considered the man for a moment, "Tracy?"

"Yes, Alpha?"

"Kill him."

"As you command." She darted forward, pulling him out of the booth and slamming him onto the floor. The Kanima lingered over him, fangs bared and face half transformed to scales. 

“She’s on the lower level, the lower-” Tracy choked him, claws digging into his throat, blood welling around them. He struggled, “Please…I….”

“Oh, I know where she is.” Stiles looked at him, disinterested. “But I demand a certain level of respect, and you have failed to show it.” He turned to leave. “All yours, Tracy.”

“No! No! N-argh!” His desperate pleas ended in a wet gurgle as Tracy ripped the man’s throat out, blood fountaining upwards. Theo moistened his lips, breathing in the heavy copper tang to the air. He looked at Stiles’ retreating back, finally figuring out who the Alpha Chimera reminded him of. _The Surgeon. Fuck, yeah, I see it now. You’ve got the superiority thing; that you are all-powerful, that we are better than everyone else. But it’s more than that; you move like you are used to having orders obeyed._ Theo followed Stiles down into the maze of identical hallways and cell blocks, his mind still churning. _And that’s why the chimeras do what you tell them to, not just the bio-chemical markers the Doctors predicted, but they are loyal to you; Corey and his desire to give everything to you and for you, Tracy and her homicidal appetite always sated, always willing to kill in the Alpha’s name, your name, Stiles. Hayden, as conflicted as she is with Liam, will grovel before your awesome power, and even Josh, the wild child, understands that you will brook no competitor, no equal. Or at least, no equal other than the one you declare._ Theo broke down a metal gate that Stiles pointed at, as Tracy disembowelled a guard behind them and Josh harvested another guard’s Taser before overloading his heart. Even Corey slammed a guard into the wall as he attempted to intercept Stiles. 

The Alpha Chimera continued to glide down the hallway as his chimeras took out any threats to him before they got close. He could hear the plink of blood as it hit the concrete floor, dripping off his pack’s claws. _So, this is what Theo meant when he said my chimera army would serve me by staying close. Perfect._ He slowed at the final gate, pushing it open. “We’re here.” The lights overhead flickered and died, a moment of darkness and then the backup generators kicked in.

 

Dr Valack exited the treatment room, standing in front of them, arms folded. The Alpha Chimera slowed, coming to a stop a few feet away, a smile playing about his lips, as though he expected this. “Ah, the great Dr. Valack, I presume!”

"You don't want to do this, Stiles, Theo." Valack addressed them both. "She's safe in here. The Dread Doctors don't know how important she is yet."

The Alpha Chimera turned to his boyfriend and smiled, "We don't care." His eyes burned for a moment and Tracy leapt forward pinning the doctor to the wall. Valack glanced down at her blood-stained claws. 

“Stiles, what have you done? Your father won’t be able to protect you from this!”

The Alpha Chimera paused, turning to him. “What makes you think that there will be anyone left to tell him anything? Be silent.”

Theo and Josh entered Lydia’s room, while Corey lingered by Stiles' back. "Hold still, now doctor, don't struggle, or her grip might just falter." The Alpha Chimera smirked and nodded at her. “Try and keep him alive, Valack might have some use for my future plans.”

“As you command, Alpha.”

Stiles looked at Corey. "Wait here." 

“Yes, Alpha.” The chimera moved forward, watching the hallway they had just came down.

Stiles moved in to join Theo and Josh, looking down at Lydia’s barely conscious form, the covers of her bed stained by blood. “Hmm.” 

"She doesn't look good." Josh observed.

"There's a hole in her head." Stiles replied, "It's not a good look for anyone." He let Theo move in for a closer look.

"Are we too late?"

"I'm not sure." Stiles muttered. “The damage is done, but…”

Theo tilted her head, sighing, "I can't believe this is even a medical establishment."

"But does it work?" Stiles asked.

"I don't know, maybe." Theo shrugged in response. “The Doctors never experimented with this procedure.”

"Pick her up, we're getting her outta here." Stiles commanded, as Josh moved to comply. "Be careful, she's valuable, and dangerous."

Stiles turned to leave as Theo helped Josh. Valack spoke to him as he left the room. "And what would a chimera pack want with a Banshee?"

"I don't want a Banshee." Stiles smirked, "I'm looking for a Hellhound."

"Stiles!" Corey's panicked shout echoed down the hallway accompanied by a fearsome roar. The Alpha Chimera frowned and moved forward. He glanced sideways at Theo as he came out too. Parrish was at the other end of the hallway, melting the wire mesh gate, naked skin burned and smoking, claws of fire, burning embers for eyes.

"Wanted a Hellhound?" Valack's tone edged into humour, "You found one."

The gate had turned yellow, red, and orange from the heat, bending down to collapse on the floor as Parrish marched through.

Stiles grinned even as he heard the heartbeats around him race. _Ah, those fire-retardant shorts again. I wonder where he got them..._ "Where the Hellhound comes, the Beast will surely follow!"

“The Beast?” Valack struggled grimly against Tracy’s iron grip. “You belong in here more than ever, Stiles!”

“Shut up.” The Alpha Chimera barked, eyes fixed on the approaching man engulfed in fire.

 

Stiles looked back into the cell. "Leave her for now, Josh. You're needed here." He glanced at Theo, hearing his pulse jump higher. They were all nervous, but not him. "Steady now." Corey moved backwards until he was standing in front of Stiles. Parrish had quenched most of his fire, but the gate was a pool of molten metal and the Hellhound's eyes were endless pits of flame when Stiles looked into them, seeing nothing of the mild-mannered Deputy he knew. "He wants Lydia."

"Shouldn’t we just hand her over?" Josh asked, fear making his voice quaver.

"No." Stiles smirked. "Not yet." He unclenched his fists outwards, a sheet of electricity sparking loudly as it crackled against the floor. The Hellhound paused, uncertain. He roared again, but Stiles was unfazed, moving forward, his face changed as fangs lowered into place, Kanima venom dripping from his claws. A loud siren began echoing throughout the facility. Stiles frowned. "Lockdown." The Hellhound used his momentary distraction to charge, flames covering his body again, Stiles blinked as Theo tackled him to the wall, the searing heat brushing past them. The chimera ripped off his jacket as flames engulfed it. Stiles shoved him away roughly, as Parrish turned back towards him. “Come on, then!” They all looked up as a terrible roar echoed down the hallway. 

Scott. 

The Hellhound stopped again, glancing between Stiles and the other chimeras. The air shimmered in front of him with the heat Parrish’s body was giving off. Stiles watched him closely, both fascinated and on edge. Fear was heavy in the air, five hearts hammering beside him, his own pulse steady, calm, ready. The Alpha Chimera took a deep breath and smiled. _Now I feel alive!_ He flicked his hand, another crack of lightning sparked out, striking the floor. "You can't have her without a fight, Parrish!"

Theo looked at him, "What are you doing?" He hissed.

"Do you see the Beast yet?"

"I don't have the-" Theo didn't get a chance to finish. 

Parrish snarled menacingly and pounced, flames exploding across his body once again. Stiles lashed out with lightning and blackened the Hellhound's flesh, but it barely slowed him down. _Tracy: attack!_

Tracy cracked Valack's head against the wall and released him. She bared her fangs and moved to intercept, lashing a vicious streak up Parrish's back. The Hellhound cried out and staggered away from Stiles, turning towards her. _All of you! Attack!_ He sensed their hesitation, their resistance, glancing at Theo. "Well?"

"Rawrr! He roared menacing and jumped in, punching Parrish’s face, as Tracy ducked his flaming fists.

Josh wasn't moving, exchanging a glance with Corey. “Stiles, this is…”

Stiles fired another arc of lightning at Parrish when his chimeras were clear. "I said, attack him!"

"The guy's on fire!" Corey pointed out.

"Attack him!" Stiles' eyes blazed, red mist descending over his mind; they were pawns to be used, nothing more. Corey and Josh were propelled forward by their unwilling feet towards the Hellhound. Corey blinked, shaking his head and moved on his own, ducking Parrish’s flaming punch and melting into the wall. Josh followed his lead, sliding under a swipe and looked at the power cables running along the building.

Stiles turned around in time to see Tracy being batted backwards into a nearby metal door; the scratches she had made on Parrish's back had sealed themselves, the wounds burned away. His lightning attacks only seemed to irritate the creature and Theo wasn't having any more luck. "Duck!" He cried out as Theo was sent flying backwards by a brutal uppercut.

Josh grabbed an electrical conduit from the wall, using the excess power to supercharge himself. He grabbed Parrish's shoulder, but the Hellhound might have been made of rubber for all the good it did. He looked at Stiles, panic making his voice high. "This isn't working!" Parrish slammed Josh into the wall, the chimera crumpling, and continued towards Stiles. 

 

The Alpha Chimera looked behind him as a gate creaked closed. His eyes widened when he saw Valack pushing a seemingly unaware Lydia ahead of him, smirk lingering around his mouth. “No!” Stiles growled viciously, and looked back at Parrish. The Hellhound had nearly reached him. "Stand down, Valack has taken her!" Stiles frowned angrily at the creature, "We'll finish this another time, Parrish." 

The Hellhound snarled at him, and turned suddenly as Corey reappeared. The chimera blinked as Parrish reached out and grabbed him, pulling him close. Stiles moved forward. "Hey! He doesn't belong to you!" The Hellhound looked at the Alpha Chimera, their gazes locking, before the monster snorted and enflamed his arm, the fire spreading hungrily across Corey's hand and then exploded across his body. The chimera screamed, Stiles tried to close the distance, but Parrish threw Corey towards him and they collided hard. The smell of burning flesh and melted plastic filled the air, Stiles coughed, pushing Corey down onto the floor, patting out the remaining fire with his hands but the chimera had passed out. Stiles got to his knees, and looked at Theo, all thoughts of the final battle, of the Beast, forgotten. “End him.”

“As you command, Alpha.” The words were spoken before he realised it, but Theo had no time to think about it as Parrish continued to advance down the hallway. He reached out for the nearby pipe that Josh had ripped from the wall and threw it like a spear towards Parrish, seeing it lodge itself in his torso. The Hellhound stopped, falling to his knees, and his eyes returned to their normal darker shade.

Stiles nodded his thanks at Theo and pulled Corey closer to him, looking him over. The boy’s face was blackened, the flesh peeling as his advanced healing powers kicked in. But the rest of his upper body was severely burned, Stiles gingerly touched his right hand, before withdrawing his fingers as he felt the crunchy texture of Corey’s skin. Stiles let his eyes fade from purple, his stomach roiling. He felt sick. “Corey…”

Theo limped to his side. "Stiles? We have to go after Valack. He has Lydia!"

Stiles ignored him, carefully checking under Corey’s clothes to see how extensive the burns were, pulling away fused cloth and plastic where he could. “He needs a hospital.” He muttered to himself.

"Stiles! Lydia is the mission, remember?" Theo barked at him, reaching out to pull Stiles towards him roughly. “We need to go now!” 

The Alpha Chimera looked at him, eyes hard. "And what? We just leave him here?"

"Yeah." Theo replied. “We do. Sacrifices, Stiles? Remember? It’s what you always say! We’ll throw a thousand chimeras on the pyre if it brings us the power we need!”

“Not him!” Stiles roared at Theo. “He is loyal! I won’t just leave him!”

“Power, Stiles.” Theo growled in response. “Nothing else matters, you know that.”

“I remember.” Stiles frowned, looking between his boyfriend and his one truly loyal chimera.


	16. Choices

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Some pretty graphic descriptions of burns coming up here, poor, poor, Corey!

Stiles knelt back down and carefully turned Corey’s face toward him, grimacing at the burnt flesh and blood that covered his skin, and transferred onto the Alpha Chimera’s fingers. He felt his stomach clench uncomfortably, nausea rising as the smell of it reached him. Theo was still standing beside him, arms folded, his scent one of indifference, waiting for Stiles to decide what to do. _I can’t leave him here, but…we have to get to Lydia, we need her. But I need him, not just for the power, he’s a good kid, he died the first time, I can’t-_ The Alpha Chimera’s thoughts were interrupted as Theo spoke.

“Well?”

"We'll take him with us." Stiles muttered after he looked at Corey’s face again. The chimera was regaining consciousness.

"What?"

"I'm not leaving him behind."

"He'll only slow us down. Besides, he's unconscious!" Theo grabbed the front of Stiles' shirt and pulled him upright, growling into his face, "Stiles! Think for a minute, this isn’t the plan! He’s not that important! If you want, Josh can take Corey outside, but we need to get to Lydia!" He shook the Alpha Chimera again and this seemed to break through. Stiles' eyes flared and Theo released him as though burned.

"You're right, of course; a momentary weakness." He ran a hand across his face and looked over at Josh who was helping Tracy up. "Josh! Take Corey up to the main level, and wait for us by the Jeep."

"But I-"

"That was an order." The Alpha Chimera growled, "He should start healing soon, my pack is my power; protect him. Or you will suffer!"

"As you command, Alpha." The words were slow, as though dragged unwillingly from him. Josh reached down and pulled Corey upright.

“Ugh, what’s…Argh!” The chimera murmured as Josh put his arm under him and pointed him towards the melted gate. 

"Tracy?" Stiles kept his eyes on Corey as he spoke. "Make a hole for them, and kill any of the guards who get in your way." _You’ll be alright, Corey, but I have to get to Lydia._ He ignored the feeling of unease that dripped into his stomach as Corey and Josh disappeared from view. “Go now.”

She nodded and left as Theo glanced at him. "I thought the point was to make our presence felt?"

Stiles didn't answer, stepping carefully around Parrish, the Hellhound still kneeling motionless in the middle of the hallway, unfocused eyes staring at nothing. The Alpha Chimera gestured at the door Valack had disappeared into. "Shall we?"

 

Theo grunted and kicked the door in, watching the wooden panels splinter and crack under the force of the impact. He followed Stiles inside, glancing around the branching passages that led off from the entrance. “Hmm.” Theo sniffed the air, feeling his senses enhanced by the presence of the Alpha Chimera. “I’ve got her scent. This way.” They began to walk down one of the three identical corridors in silence. He glanced at Stiles now and then, but apart from seeing his scowl and smelling the anger flooding off him, he wasn’t sure what the problem was. _We’re on the trail; Lydia will be ours soon enough. What the hell is wrong with him?_ Theo smashed open another gate, Stiles pushing past him roughly. He frowned at the Alpha Chimera. “Hey!”

“What?” Stiles’ reply was short, sharp, and Theo blinked in surprise.

“Uh, nothing, I guess.”

“Good. Let’s keep going.” Stiles nodded at the new hallway. “Are you sure you have her scent?”

“Yeah, of course. He’s rushing, in a hurry.”

"Afraid?"

"Uh huh, though I'm not sure it's us he's afraid of." Theo pushed another gate open. He stared at the back of Stiles' neck as he fell behind his boyfriend. _Maybe it’s Corey? Huh._ “Stiles? Are you angry with me?”

“It doesn’t matter.” Stiles replied after a moment. “Let’s just find Lydia.”

“You know that was the right decision, don’t you? He’d slow us down, and-”

“You said that.” Stiles broke in. “What do you want from me, Theo? Creating our own pack, choosing you over Scott, the betrayals, the lies, the death; I don’t have any friends anymore. I have you and I have the pack, and I can tell they’re afraid of me most of the time. Hayden, I don’t trust, Josh and Tracy are just weapons, fodder to be thrown into the fight. But I thought Corey might be something different, a new friend even.”

“You’re the Alpha Chimera, Stiles! You don’t need friends.” Theo replied, “Besides, you have me, isn’t that enough?”

“Nothing is ever enough, Theo, you know that. That’s why we’re here, that’s why I told Josh to get him out. I want it all; the whole damn world!” Stiles spread his arms wide and turned on the spot. “I guess I’m just not sure how much and who I’m willing to sacrifice to get it.”

Theo nodded, “I suppose I understand. Hey, do you think we should’ve left Parrish there?”

“You had no problem leaving Corey there.” Stiles replied, catching his boyfriend’s eye. “But, yeah, we don’t need Parrish yet. The Beast isn’t here, and you’re not ready.”

“Ok.” The chimeras began to walk again, following the scent. But Theo was still not able to let it go. “You know he’ll heal, right?”

“Heal? Did you see his injuries? The damn Hellhound burnt entire layers of skin off!” Stiles took a breath and then nodded. “You were right to stop me bringing him with us, though; it’s counterproductive. Josh will get him out.”

“Or suffer?” Theo quoted the Alpha Chimera back at Stiles. “Would you really risk losing more power if Corey…doesn’t make it?”

“I said ‘suffer’, Theo, not die.” Stiles’ eyes were cold, his tone dangerous. He stopped at a junction of two corridors. “Which way?”

“This one.”

Theo led the way as Stiles followed closely behind him, his thoughts shifting between finding Lydia and wondering if he made the right decision.

 

They stopped outside a room, steam curling out from the open window above the door. Theo frowned. “In here.” He pushed open the door with the tips of his fingers, revealing a group of patients cowering where they stood, some clad in towels, others simply naked. He advanced into the room, ignoring them, eyes fixing onto a large grate in the corner.

Stiles lingered in front of one group, a mix of teenage boys and young men, his eyes travelling over their bodies, slick with water from their interrupted shower. _Hmm, on any other occasion I’d stop and admire the view, despite their…broken minds. Some quite tasty specimens here that I wouldn’t say no to._ His eyes connected with one young man, hunched over, face twisted in fear. In fact, the whole room was filled with their terror; bitter to the taste, and yet somehow Stiles wanted to smell more of it. He walked closer and bent down on his haunches. “Hey there. You seen anyone come through here? Valack? The doctor? He had a girl, she would have been bleeding? C’mon, you gotta have seen something.” There was no reply, even though they all looked at him, eyes open, fearful, water tracing down their faces. Stiles sighed and looked over at Theo. “Have anything?”

“This grate, it’s pretty big for a shower room.” The chimera shrugged and looked along the walls. “Other than that, I don’t know.”

“Hmm.” Stiles lowered his eyes, letting them turn purple, before looking up at the group of men. They uttered cries of fear, some even trying to scuttle away. The Alpha Chimera smirked and growled, parting his lips to reveal werewolf fangs. Their pulses were racing. _Got ‘em!_ He smiled wider, “Now you will tell me what I need to know! Where did the doctor take her? Tell me!” The Alpha Chimera roared, his eyes blazing a little brighter in the dimly lit room. 

"There. Over there." One of them pointed towards the grate Theo was standing in front of. "They went there. Please, just, just…leave us alone." He finished in a whisper.

"Theo?" Stiles called out, growling again in his throat, their fear was fuelling a darkness he hadn't felt since he had connected with the Beast. He stood up, glancing around. _This. I like this. Humans cowering in fear before me, on their knees in their rightful place, before their perfect Chimera Emperor…_ Stiles smiled darkly again, glancing down at his claws as they emerged from his nails. _This is power, delicious power to do whatever the hell I want to them!_ The room flickered before his eyes; the vision the Beast showed him slotting into place, details slightly clearer this time; a long hall, dimly lit by braziers along the side, polished floor echoing under his feet as he walked down to accept Scott’s surrender, the Alpha werewolf was bloodied and broken, his loyal chimeras ripping the clothes from Scott’s back. The Chimera Emperor stopped, grinning widely as he looked beyond the defeated werewolf at the endless rows of humans prostrated in supplication before him…

“Stiles!” Theo called out, breaking the Alpha Chimera from his thoughts. “Over here.”

“What? Oh, good.” 

"It's big enough." He bent down, using his claws as leverage to open the grate, pulling the heavy iron slab up and out. "Yeah, there's a space down here. I think it leads to the tunnels."

"Damn it, there are thousands of miles of them in every direction under the city. They could be anywhere by now." Stiles muttered to himself and walked over to his boyfriend, looking at the dark hole. "Well?"

"Fine." Theo sighed and dropped straight down, landing with a grunt. "You're right, there's a door here, opens into a passageway. I have her scent: Lydia went this way for sure.”

 

Josh pushed him up against the wall, ignoring the chimera's groans of pain. Corey gasped and held his burnt arm in front of him. Agony clouded his mind and the stench roiled his stomach. His hands were wet with blood and he didn’t even want to think about the crispy bits that crackled every time he ran his other hand against the exposed skin of his torso. His vision was blurry, but he could see the other chimera pushing open the door opposite him.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Josh was speaking to someone in the room, but Corey could barely hear the words, or even his own heartbeat, the hallway slid out of focus, his eyes clenched shut as another wave of pain swept over him. Corey wept quietly, the anguish too much to put into words. 

"The electricity is still coming off her. I can feel it from here." 

The injured chimera cried out softly, even his throat hurt, and he tried to stand a little straighter, but the pain rushed around him and his head exploded with stars. He slumped back into the wall, hands hanging by his side; everything hurt. Corey couldn't stop the tears from falling, but he tried to keep his sobs quiet, failing even at that.

"I can help her." Josh was speaking again.

 _You're meant to be helping me!_ Corey thought angrily. _Stiles said-argh!_

"Why?" He didn't recognise the voice at first.

"Because I need your help." Josh stood aside and Corey got a better look at who he had been talking to: Malia, the werecoyote. "With him."

 

"I thought you had her scent?" Stiles asked as Theo stopped, leaning his ear close to a pipe. 

"I lost it."

"Great. Good work, Theo." He replied snappily.

"What do you smell down here, Stiles?" The chimera bit back.

"Chemicals and shit." He paused, sighing, "Yeah, ok, I guess it's worse for you. Can't you, I don't know, sniff harder or something?"

"It doesn't really work like that." Theo smirked, but Stiles still smelt angry. “I’m trying to-”

"Fuck’s sake, we don't have Lydia, we're getting lost down here, and Corey nearly burnt to death." He glared at the wall. _At least he’ll be safely out now, and healing, god, he better heal. I don’t think Theo would be ok with bringing him back a second time. So, he’ll heal and I will…I ordered them to attack, I **made** him attack. Shit._ Stiles swallowed hard, ignoring the memory of Corey looking at him before he used his Alpha Chimera power to force him forward. Instead, he looked at Theo. "This is not working out how I planned."

“I’m trying my best here, Stiles.”

“Well, it looks like your best isn’t good enough.”

“Would you like a go? Oh, wait you can’t. Because without your chimeras, you’re nothing!” Theo snarled at him, turning to face his boyfriend. “But I bet you’d just love to have Corey down here, wouldn’t you?”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, Theo!” Stiles roared back at him, “For the last time, I am not interested in him like that! But, maybe you are, huh? Is that why you’re acting like this? Because secretly you want to fuck him?”

“What? I don’t!” 

“No, I guess not, you’d just prefer to have your fun while he’s drugged on the Dread Doctors’ table, right?” Stiles moved closer to him, stabbing Theo’s chest with his finger to make the point. “Because that’s what you do! Because that’s how you’ve always taken what you want! We’re meant to be in a relationship, Theo, you have to trust me!”

“I do!” Theo replied, eyes wide as he confronted Stiles’ anger. “That’s why I’m here, trying to find the stupid Banshee in a tunnel full of shit! So, can you please shut up and let me concentrate!"

"Fuck this." Stiles muttered after a moment of glaring at Theo. He turned on his heel and walked further down the passage way. "I'll find her myself."

Theo sighed, the anger leaving him, “Stiles? Stiles, come on, please.” The Alpha Chimera ignored him and continued walking. Theo moved down the tunnel after him, and reached out to grab his shoulder, "Hey! I can find her!"

Stiles stopped and looked back at him, silent.

"I can find her," Theo repeated, matching his gaze. "And then we can use her and Parrish to find the Beast. Then we'll take its power, and then we'll take the world."

"The world?"

"That's what you said, Stiles." He moved closer to the Alpha Chimera. "That's what this is all about. That is what it has always been about. You'll be the Emperor, and I'll be the, uh..."

"The Consort." Stiles finished for him, grinning. He looked down, and then back up at Theo’s intense eyes, glinting in the low light. "You're right, I'm sorry, I shouldn’t have yelled at you. I'm letting petty little things get between us. But there is nothing that can divide us, Theo." He kissed him suddenly, ignoring the smell.

Lydia's screams echoed down the passageway, driving them apart. Stiles frowned, looking around, as Theo glanced behind him. "What direction was that in? Where's it coming from?" Stiles demanded. 

Theo closed his eyes, concentrating, then shook his head. "I don't know, everywhere?"

 

Corey jumped as he felt two pairs of hands supporting him, guiding him into the room. He forced his eyes open, seeing the steel tables in front of him, open body bags on the floor. _A morgue? What’s going-ah!_ Josh eased him onto the table as Malia supported his legs and right arm. Waves of pain washed over him, his pulse spiking and his chest tight as each breath was a little harder to take in. Everything ached, except his fingers and hands didn’t anymore, the pain had simply disappeared, but then he also couldn’t feel the table beneath him. _It’s metal, it should be smooth, cold, hard, but I don’t, I don’t feel anything!_ Panic began to grip him and Corey tried to sit up, but Josh forced him back down.

“It’s alright Corey, try and stay calm.”

He nodded, swallowing hard, trying to make the burning sensation in his chest and arms go away, trying to heal like he had done the last time. His flesh crackled, the sound bringing bile to his mouth, but he failed, causing only more pain. Corey slumped back down, raising one of his hands to look at his blackened, burnt skin, his clothes feeling loose and tearing under Malia’s claws as she cut away the fabric, getting a clearer picture of his wounds. He grimaced as he lay back, the sound coming out of his cracked and dry lips was choked and feeble.

"Why isn't he healing?" Josh asked to his side.

"Maybe it's too much, maybe he can't?" Malia said on his other, "Or maybe it's the pain."

"He's going to die, isn't he?" Josh's voice was fearful, pulse pounding.

"His heart-beat is getting slower." Malia confirmed.

 _Great._ Corey thought to himself, a fresh burst of agony across his face emptied his mind.

"No, no, you can't die, Corey!" Josh’s words came to him slow and dim as though travelling a long tunnel.

"I didn't think you'd care." Malia replied bluntly.

Corey frowned, or tried to frown, hearing the hesitation in the other chimera’s voice. "Stiles cares. If Corey dies…I'm supposed to get him out of here, and if he dies, the Alpha Chimera won't kill me; he needs the power, but the things he'll do? I'll wish he just tore my throat out."

 _He cares that much?_ The thought was a tiny flicker of light in the vast darkness that threatened to overwhelm him. Corey clung to it, even as he cried out in pain.

"Stiles?" She asked, incredulous.

"Yeah. Now, can you heal him?"

"No." Malia glanced at Kira. "I can take his pain, if you take her lightning." 

Josh followed her gaze, “Yeah, I can do that.”

“Well go on then.”

“Heh, you expect me to trust you? You left Theo behind for the Desert Wolf and the Beast.” Josh replied. “Yeah, he told us.” He looked back down at Corey’s face twisting in torment as a flare of lightning cracked out from Kira. “But, I need you as much as you need me.”

“Together then?”

“Fine.”

Corey felt the blackness sucking him in; he remembered the pain he felt after Lucas attacked him, but this was so much worse, everything was on fire, his skin was slick with blood and ash. There was nothing, even the tiny pilot-light that spoke of something he shouldn’t be hoping for had been crushed. Then a moment later feeling rushed back into his hand and he yelled out in pain, arching his back, teeth clenched as the agony overwhelmed him. Suddenly it began to diminish, the black oceans of torment receding. Corey blinked his eyes half open, if it was a memory or a dream, he didn't know, but the Alpha Chimera was leaning over him, eyes burning with stunning purple, face creased in worry. Corey felt a smile tugging at his lips. "Alpha..." He whispered, before mercifully passing out.

 

Stiles skidded to a halt at another identical junction to the one he had just emerged from. Theo slowed to a stop beside him, looking around. Lydia was still screaming, but the sound was coming from everywhere at once. Stiles whirled around, frustrated. "Where is she?"

"I don't...hang on." Theo went back to the pipes and followed them with his eyes. "These tubes lead everywhere."

"Right." Stiles grinned as he understood. “Even to wherever she’s been taken.”

"And the sound travels through the pipe in a more direct manner." Theo explained, glancing at Stiles for confirmation.

“Yeah.” He nodded. “Do it. Break the pipe, Theo, you’ll hear better.”

The chimera clenched his hand into a fist and smashed the edge of the iron pipe, gas hissing out. "Good job Parrish isn't here." He muttered, and placed his ear into the gap. "It's Valack, I can hear him, just. He's talking to Lydia, asking her if she can hear him, if she knows where she is. It's distant. He's saying that he wants her help against the Dread Doctors."

"Of course, he does." Stiles muttered. “Does he say why?”

“Petty, personal.” Theo stood back and guided Stiles closer, standing behind him as the Alpha Chimera put his ear to the broken pipe, Valack’s voice coming through as though he was at the bottom of a well.

“… ruined me, destroyed me, drove me to obsession! Consigned me to professional ridicule. People thought I was a monster, but I was simply trying to open their eyes.”

Stiles glanced back at Theo. “Yeah, it’s the little picture. Hang on, Lydia. She wants, no, I can’t hear it. You’re better than me.” He pulled away, and let Theo listen instead.

“Ok, he’s saying that she’ll see things, that no one else can see.”

“Uh…” Stiles muffled a laugh. “Go on.”

“Valack says she won’t survive, but her…her friends might be saved.” Theo frowned, "He's doing something to her, I can hear her breathing hard, maybe she's afraid?"

"Gee, you think?"

He ignored the comment and tilted his head, listening, "He's saying that there's too much brain activity, something about getting from gamma waves to theta."

"Sleep."

"What?"

"Theta! That's when you're asleep or trying to get to sleep." Stiles explained, "Are we getting closer to her?"

"I think so. He's saying that the mask will kill her if he puts it on now, she needs to be calmer. He’s started some sort of machine; it’s pretty loud." Theo pointed towards the left passageway. “That one.”

“Ok.” Stiles began to move, but Theo reached out and grabbed his arm. 

“Wait, he’s talking again. It’s the Beast; something about an engineered version of a werewolf. It’s still bound to the teenage chimera inside it.” Theo looked up as Stiles gestured impatiently, “Yeah, I’m coming. Hey, that might be the reason that you were able to connect with it?”

“I guess?” Stiles moved quickly. “When we get to him, we can ask. Whatever Valack’s planning sounds like he doesn’t care if Lydia lives through it.”

“Well, we just need her for the Hellhound and then to bait the Beast. Isn’t that kinda the same thing?” Theo looked at him as they turned a corner. “That way, I can hear the hum of Valack’s machine.”

“Good,” Stiles nodded, and then answered his boyfriend’s question. “I suppose it’s similar. Except for the fact that I’m using her to fuel our rise to power, Valack just wants to satisfy his perverse experiments.”

“Of course, how could I forget, o Emperor?” Theo replied with a grin. 

“Chimera Emperor, please.” Stiles smirked back at him.

 

Corey’s eyes flicked open, the dull grey ceiling the first thing he saw, and then Josh’s face, creased in worry. He frowned, the pain had receded to a dull constant ache, it wasn’t gone, but not the searing intensity it once was. Corey tried to sit up, the other chimera helping him, his scent heavy with relief. He looked at his hands, still blackened and charred in places, but his wounds had begun to heal, the new skin that had formed was tight and stretched uncomfortably at his touch. Corey grimaced and slid off the edge of the table, feeling strong enough to stand on his own, waving away Josh’s hands. He looked over at Malia and Kira, "Anyone know how we're supposed to get out of here?"

"This place is still on lock-down," Malia pointed out. 

Corey twisted his neck to look at her, reaching up to trace his fingers over the uneven charred flesh on his face, the raw skin, the tacky wetness of still clotting blood. He swallowed hard, glancing at the exit door. Kira must have followed his gaze as she said, “It's not just locked.”

"Yeah, I can feel it too." Josh confirmed, looking around. “It’s been electrified. All the exits have.”

"Wha, what are we supposed to do? Just wait here?" He looked at Josh, "Where's Stiles?"

"He told me to get you outta here, but you were dying, and-"

"But where is he?" Corey demanded, steel edging his voice.

"He went with Theo, they're looking for Lydia."

"Oh." The chimera looked down at his hands, rubbing the blood smears between his fingers. "We can't just stay here."

"There’s a plan B," Malia said confidently. "We've got a guy on the outside in case this happens."

"Who?"

"Mason." Kira replied, standing up.

Corey looked at her, surprise written all over his face. _He never told me about that!_ "Mason's gonna unlock the lock-down?"

"How's he going to do that?" Josh laughed, Corey heard the mocking tone and glared at him.

"He has the full map of Eichen House and of the electrical system." Kira explained. "All he has to do is get into the transformer shed in the back of the building and flip the switch."

Corey exchanged a look with Josh. “That’s all?”

"Don't worry," Malia said confidently. "Mason knows exactly what he's doing."

 _Yeah, I guess…Mason, you know, the guy you’re meant to be dating? And not jerking off to hot, erotic fantasies about your Alpha…_ Corey looked away from the others, trying to bury his thoughts. _Especially since Theo will rip your throat out if he ever discovers it._

 

Theo nodded at the left junction. “This way, the machine is getting louder. In fact…ah! Here it is.” He pointed at a set of double doors. Valack’s voice was audible to them both now. Theo turned to Stiles, but the Alpha Chimera was listening intently, head on one side.

“Valack thinks that the Beast is the last genetic chimera?” Stiles repeated to himself, “But we know all of them, unless one was missed, it wasn’t as obvious as a skin graft or organ transplant…” He looked up to meet Theo’s eyes when they heard Valack’s next words. “Lydia sees the face of the genetic chimera and then she knows who the Beast is?”

“Sounds like we can side-step the Hellhound and use her, instead?” Theo suggested. “Whatever that mask is, we need to get it!”

“Agreed. Break down the door!” The Alpha Chimera commanded.

Theo took a step back and then ran forward, charging into the door with his shoulder. He grunted at the impact, but despite the door shuddering, it stayed shut. Stiles joined him, and together they started to hammer on the metal, charging as one into it repeatedly. "It's getting there! Strong lock!" Theo called out.

"Keep trying!" Stiles replied.

Theo blinked as he heard the humming of the machine climb to a screech before fading away completely. He grabbed Stiles' arm, pulling him backwards. "The machine. It's broken. She's as dangerous now as she'll ever be, Stiles."

"Fuck. we'll never get away in time!" He moved away from the door just as Lydia unleashed her voice. 

The scream came in a solid wave towards them, its lethal effects diminished through the door; as loud and high as Stiles expected, the noise drilling into his skull. The floor trembled beneath them, the door shaking violently. Stiles jammed his fingers in his ears, seeing Theo doing the same, bending over as though that might lessen the impact. The scream lasted only a moment, but Stiles still had his ears covered and eyes shut when he felt Theo tug them clear minutes later. He nodded that he was alright, watching Theo reach out to grasp the door handle, but it came off in his hand. Stiles kicked the door open instead.

 

They advanced into the room slowly, seeing Valack’s dead body slumped over beside the chair where Lydia was strapped in. Stiles paused as she looked at him and Theo. “Do you remember us, Lydia?” He asked softly.

There was no reaction for a moment and then she nodded slowly. “I know what you did.”

“Ah.” Stiles moved around her, leaving Theo to hold her attention. “You’ve killed Dr. Valack. Don’t worry, I’ll believe that it was self-defense. Scott might need some time, you know how he is with these things.” The Alpha Chimera paused and laughed shortly. “Actually, you don’t know how he is. You’ve missed a lot. But don’t be afraid, we’re here for you now.”

“You have the Nemeton.” Lydia whispered, eyes wide as Theo advanced towards her.

“Yeah,” He replied, “Old news, Lydia, but your knowledge was very beneficial. We saved lives, well, more like we restored them. And with your help, we’ll save even more.”

“I don’t believe you.” Her voice was quiet, delicate, but Stiles could feel the change in the room, the way her chest rose and fell, the extra breaths she was taking.

He frowned, and looked at the other chimera, catching his boyfriend’s eye. "Theo, you know what to do."

The chimera smirked and took out the syringe from his inside pocket. He pulled off the cap and rammed it into Lydia's neck before she could utter so much as a croak. The Banshee sank back down on the chair. Theo smiled at her, waving the empty needle in front of her. "Kanima venom, very useful. If Valack had this, perhaps he could have got what he wanted."

"It's for your own protection, Lydia." Stiles muttered as he walked around the dust-covered lab. "I wouldn't want to have the death of your friends on your consciousness, now would we?" 

 

There was a crack as the charge around the doors vanished. Josh was immediately alert as Corey glanced at him. “What is it?”

“The lockdown’s been lifted.”

“Great! Let’s go.” He stood up and followed Kira, as she and Malia ran out ahead of them. The door led to a courtyard; the street visible behind the fence. Corey and Josh exited the gate, making for Stiles’ Jeep, at the same moment Malia returned around the corner with Scott and Liam in tow. The chimeras stopped, frowning.

“Grab him!” Scott cried out, pointing at Corey. Liam jumped forward, claws out as Josh backed up, hands raised.

“Woah, woah, woah!” He shouted. “What is this?”

“What are you doing?” Corey looked around, confused as Malia reached him and snarled, her eyes blue. “I thought-”

“Shut up!” Scott moved closer to the captured chimeras. “And don’t bother trying to fight us, Josh, Kira can stop your lightning, just as you took it from her.” He turned to Corey, shaking his head as the young chimera struggled against Malia’s grip. “Stop! You’re already injured, Corey, don’t make me hurt you.”

“What do you want with us?” Corey demanded, still trying to pull away from Malia as Josh sighed resignedly.

“Stiles and Theo are in the tunnels; they’ve probably already found Lydia by now.”

“I thought that was why we sent Parrish down after them?” Liam asked Scott, Corey looked at his boyfriend’s best friend with pleading eyes, but the Beta ignored him.

“Yeah, that’s right.” Scott confirmed. “But Stiles is resourceful, and Theo is ruthless, they could still have found Lydia and avoided Parrish. We can’t let them leave with her; she has to come home with us.”

“Ok, but how is capturing these two gonna help us?” 

“Stiles relies on him.” Scott looked at Corey. “More than the others, he’ll trade Lydia for Corey. Even if we have to force it.” The chimera’s eyes went wide when he saw Scott’s claws flick out.

“No!” He cried out, seeing the look Kira and Liam exchanged with each other, even as Malia nodded approvingly behind him. “You can’t!”

 

Stiles looked around the dusty lab, picking up implements and tools, examining them with mild interest, before dropping them back on the table they came from. He paused when he picked up a strange device, it looked like a glue gun, but with long, thick cables coming from it, freezing to the touch, there was a layer of ice over the nozzle. The cables led back to a large frost-covered drum. He crouched and brushed the ice away revealing the label; liquid nitrogen, _Well hello there, I could have used you earlier!_

Theo bent down and picked up the Dread Doctor mask, turning it over in his hands. "Stiles?"

“Yeah?”

“This must be the mask. What do you want to do?”

"Take it with us; there's a bag over here." He tossed Theo the rough cloth bag, and picked up the ice sprayer, squeezing the trigger to test it, a spurt of the liquid shooting out and instantly freezing the tiles he directed it at. “Pity we can’t take this with us…” 

Theo moved back in front of Lydia, frowning as she began to twist and turn, fighting off the effects of venom faster than he had expected. “What…Stiles!” He looked up sharply when he smelt the burning scent of the Hellhound, but the creature grabbed him from behind and threw him out of the doorway effortlessly. The Alpha Chimera’s eyes shot up as Theo’s cry was cut off, but instead of attacking, he threw himself on the ground behind Lydia’s chair. It seemed that the Hellhound was only interested in the Banshee, however.

Lydia screamed again, but Parrish hugged her tightly, flames surrounding them both as her death scream was buried in his chest. Stiles covered his ears regardless, and pushed his face into the ground, the ice weapon shoved under his body. The lethal force of the scream was absorbed by the Hellhound, but a burst of sound still exploded outwards from Lydia, creating a shockwave of dust that filled the lab and extended out into the tunnel.

 

Deafened, blinded, and yet still somehow alive, the Alpha Chimera stood up slowly, his own blazing purple orbs looking into the Hellhound's demonic burning eyes. "Impressive." He managed.

The creature growled, hands locked possessively on Lydia's shoulder. The Banshee was barely conscious, slumping towards the Hellhound. “Mine.” The voice was a rumble, so unlike Parrish’s own tone that the Alpha Chimera paused for a moment.

“You truly are something different.” He looked behind the Hellhound to see Theo staggering upright, wiping dust from his face. “I promised you that we would end this another time. That won’t be now. Valack would have killed her, and she still might kill the rest of us. But she has something I need." The Hellhound snorted, and Stiles grinned, bringing up his ice-gun, unloading the liquid nitrogen all over Parrish's molten body. The creature shouted in surprise, other-worldly cries at first, and then a more human tone as his fire was extinguished.

Lydia jumped away from Parrish, into Theo’s waiting claws. “Stop it! She yelled out, “Please, Stiles, stop it!”

“Get her out of here.” The Alpha Chimera commanded, throwing the now spent weapon to one side. He peered through the rising clouds of nitrogen at Parrish, hunched over, his skin returning to its normal shade and texture. 

Theo pulled Lydia down the passageway, his strength overcoming her resistance. She took in a lungful of air, as if to scream again, but the chimera flicked out his claws, waving them in front of her face. “See these? Remember these, Lydia?” He growled, as the Banshee stopped fighting. “Good, because you start screaming, and I start slashing, do you really want to see who wins that battle?” Theo dragged her grimly along, heading towards the surface. “Come on.”

 

Stiles waited until he was sure the Hellhound had receded into Parrish before crouching down in front of him. The Deputy looked at him, confusion in his eyes. “What happened? I don’t really remember, Scott was…where are we?”

“Underground; Valack’s lab, you saved Lydia.”

“I did?” He smiled in relief, before looking around. “Where is she?”

“Theo took her topside.”

“Theo? He’s bad news, Stiles.”

The Alpha Chimera stood back up, laughing. “Who do you think drove back the Hellhound, Parrish?”

The Deputy looked at the puddle of liquid around him, and then back up at Stiles, “You?”

“Me.”

“But…How? Why?”

“I have become someone, something, greater.” Stiles smirked, “Just like you. I recognise your strength, Parrish; my new Empire has a place for creatures such as you." 

“Empire?” The Deputy repeated the word slowly, looking at the teenager and then down at his out-stretched hand. "Stiles..."

"I'll offer only once, join us and realise glory, or don't and become an obstacle." 

"Is that a threat?" The laughter died on his lips when Stiles answered.

"It's a promise. We both want the same thing, Parrish, the end of the Beast, of the Doctors, who cares how we get to it?"

"And after?" The Deputy swallowed, seeing nothing of Stiles in the dark room save for purple eyes in swirling dust. "You have a plan?"

"I do. Take my hand, and see it for yourself." The Alpha Chimera smiled, “What do you say?”

 

Stiles followed the passageway back towards Eichen House, climbing the ladder into the now deserted shower room, and then out the side exit without meeting any resistance, the Doctors’ mask held under one arm. _Looks like Tracy did her task well. Should I begin providing rewards? What would hers be? More death._ He smirked and shook his head, before frowning as Theo’s voice reached him.

“…Get out of the way, Scott, or I’ll rip her throat out!”

Stiles hurried forward to see his boyfriend pressing his claws into Lydia’s neck hard enough to draw blood. Opposite him, Scott was mirroring the stance, except it was Corey held against his will. Tracy sidled in behind him, and the Alpha Chimera felt his power shoot upwards; Josh was pushed back against a wall by Liam, while Hayden was standing a little way off with Mason, between the two packs. _Curious. Why did you disobey my orders, Hayden?_ Stiles spared her a glance before he moved to stand beside Theo, thrusting the mask into Tracy’s hands. _Hold this._ "Threatening to kill him, are you, Scott?"

"He's valuable to you, Stiles, I've seen the way you rely on him." The Alpha looked at the Banshee. "Give us Lydia, like we agreed, and I'll let him go."

"And if I don’t?" The Alpha Chimera’s voice was cold and hard. He saw Scott’s jaw clench.

"Stiles!" Corey looked at him, panic in his eyes.

The Alpha Chimera ignored him, staring at Scott. "You'd kill an innocent just to stop me? No, Scott won't do that, too bound up in your morals, and your weakness."

“You value life, Stiles, just as much as I do, that’s why we’re even talking.”

“Tracy,” Stiles called over his shoulder, not taking his eyes off Scott. “How many guards did we kill tonight?”

“Twelve, including the three on my way out.”

“Excellent work.” He grinned. “Do you see, Scott? I don’t really care about life. Yeah, I care about his life.” Stiles pointed a clawed finger at Corey. “Because he serves me, because they all serve me! Now, why don’t you let him go, and we can let our rocky little alliance continue on?”

“You have to give us Lydia!”

The Alpha Chimera didn’t reply, simply stared at Scott.

“Stiles!”

“Kill him.” Corey let out a pitiful whimper, but Scott hesitated, moistening his lips. “Kill him, Scott, show us all what a big, bad werewolf you really are! Rip out the throat of that innocent boy whose only crime was following my orders. Are you going to do it?”

“No,” Scott sighed after a minute, and released Corey. "You're right, this isn’t me." He stepped back as Malia glared at him. The werewolf shrugged, “There has to be a better way.”

“There is.” Stiles replied, as Corey ran over and stood behind him. He waited until Josh was released. “Thank you, Scott, there is no reason for our alliance to sour over this.” The Alpha Chimera raised a hand, looking at Theo. “Release her.”

“As you command, Alpha.” Theo muttered, shoving Lydia forward onto the rough pavement. Kira and Malia rushed forward to help her up, putting her in the back of Malia’s car.

Stiles glanced at Josh, feeling the extra power building up in him, and mimicked the chimera’s powers, waves of electricity running up and down his arms. “I know you think now is the time for revenge, as though we have somehow wronged you. But we kept our bargain; you have Lydia.” The Alpha Chimera fixed on Scott, waves of electricity rippling across his skin, under his clothes and across his hands. Lydia mumbled something, a whispered scream that cracked the front windshield. Stiles glanced at her and then back at Scott. “If you don’t take her now, this will have all been for nothing.”

Scott’s hands balled into fists, but he nodded sharply, “Let’s go.”

“Goodbye, Scott.” Stiles called out after him, seeing the werewolf freeze for a moment before continuing on.

Theo glanced at him once the other pack had left. “Why did you let her go?”

“She has become a liability." The Alpha Chimera looked at his pack, his gaze lingering on Corey, even though the younger chimera avoided his eyes. “We need to return to the lab. Corey, you’re healing, at least.”

“Yes, Alpha.” He whispered, trying not to look at Stiles after what had almost happened.

 

“Tell me why you were there, Hayden? Why did you disobey my orders?” Stiles asked as Theo examined the empty syringe of Kanima venom. 

Hayden looked at him, her scent heavy with fear. “Mason kept calling me, telling me he needed me to get the others out of Eichen House, you included!”

“Hmm.” The Alpha Chimera nodded slowly. “I suppose that’s an acceptable reason.”

“Yeah, but you used the entire thing?” Theo held up the syringe gun. "I said it was for emergencies only. Do you know how difficult it is to extract that?"

"Don't worry, Theo, a little dissension in the ranks is perfectly healthy." Deucalion's voice grated against his ears, the chimera ignored it, glancing at Stiles, but the Alpha Chimera had disappeared. Theo put down the device and walked out of the holding area, finding his boyfriend standing in front of the fresco.

“Stiles?”

"We have what we need."

"I thought Lydia was what we needed?"

"No," Stiles glanced at him. "Valack told us what we must do: putting on the mask will tell us who the Beast is. I’m sure one of us is suited to the task."

Theo grinned at him. "I guess it's time."

"Yes. But not here. I don't want Deucalion's voice in my ear." He lowered his voice, beckoning Theo a little closer. “Do you believe Hayden?”

“You don’t?”

“I’m not sure. She has her claws in Liam, or so she says, perhaps it is the other way around.” He looked around furtively, “I do not like the idea of a spy in our midst.”

“We have Corey; you can ask him to follow her, report back.” Theo suggested, earning a surprised quirk of Stiles’ brow. “It’s like you said; he’s the loyal one, the one who’ll do anything for you regardless of the outcome.”

“Yes, that’s a good idea.” Stiles nodded.

"And if Scott is plotting to take her out of our pack, out of your powerbase, what then?" 

“We are better, more resistant; together we are unstoppable.” The Alpha Chimera replied, eyes blazing. “All that oppose us will be destroyed.” _Even arrogant Hellhounds that do not realise the value of my offer! Time to think it over…gah!_

“Yes, Chimera Emperor.” Theo bowed low, in mock deference as Stiles grinned at him.

 

Stiles leaned against the door frame, watching Corey pulling off the tattered remains of his t-shirt. “Do you want a hand?” He had spoken quietly, but the chimera jumped anyway.

“Ah!” He turned around, expression easing as he saw who it was. “Oh, Stiles.”

“Well?”

“Uh, sure.” Corey sat down on the bed, now shirtless. He could see the Alpha Chimera looking him over, grimacing at the brunt and charred skin of his chest and torso. “It’s not as bad as it looks.”

“I’m sorry, Corey,” Stiles started as he moved forward into the room, shutting the door behind him. “If I had thought that Parrish would have-”

“It’s alright, Stiles. It was my fault, I should have thought of something else.” Corey looked sideways at him as Stiles sat on the bed.

“No, it’s not. It’s me; the Alpha Chimera, I didn’t care if you got hurt or even if you had died, I’m driven by something else when the full pack is there; I’m cruel, callous and part of me thinks that is how I’d act if I didn’t have to care about the consequences, chimera pack or not.” Stiles sighed, but then slid off the bed onto his knees. He took one of Corey’s shoes into his hands, slowly easing it off his foot, seeing his chimera wince. 

“That’s not true, Stiles. You saved my life again.” Corey pointed out as Stiles moved onto the other foot.

“When?”

“Tonight. With Scott.” The chimera looked up as Stiles got to his feet. “You called his bluff.”

“I know Scott, maybe not as well as I thought; I didn’t expect him to take a hostage.” Stiles shrugged, letting Corey undo his own belt buckle. _That might come a little too close…_ “But he was right; I do value you, as power, sure, but also as a friend.”

Corey beamed at him, ignoring the ache that spread across his face with the expression. “Really?”

“Yeah, can’t you tell?” Stiles laughed, disappearing into his and Theo’s room and grabbed a loose t-shirt and sweat pants from the pile on the bed. He returned to Corey. “Here, we’re about the same height, err, maybe I’m a little taller, but they’re soft.”

“Thanks.” Corey grunted as the burns flared in pain again. “I guess Malia’s solution only works for a while, huh?”

“Hmm. I’ll be downstairs with Theo, so I’m not sure how effective this will be, but you are right above us, so maybe.” Stiles muttered to himself, as he let his eyes turn purple and reached out to touch Corey’s bare shoulder. He used his other hand to carefully lift the chimera’s face up until their eyes met. _You don’t feel the pain anymore. Your nerves don’t understand it, your brain forgets it. You’re completely at peace._

Corey blinked as the pain disappeared from his body, Stiles released him and he looked down at his hands. “Wow. That’s amazing!”

“Try and get some sleep, Corey, hopefully you’ll feel better in the morning.” 

Corey watched Stiles leave, closing the door behind him. He reached out to touch the soft fabric of the clothes Stiles gave him, and then looked guiltily at his phone when it buzzed with another message from Mason.

 

“Well? How is he?” Theo looked up from the table as Stiles came down the stairs.

“Good. He’s healing, slowly. I made him stop feeling the pain, so he can sleep.” Stiles glanced at the medical tools Theo had laid out on the table. “Are you sure that you want me to help you with this?”

“Yeah.” He nodded, gesturing at the talons. “You’ll need to do your pain trick on me too, so my hands are steady. First, I’ll need to peel back the skin from around my nails, then using the Dread Doctors’ implantation device, uh, that.” He pointed at a long metal rod with a box shaped like a hole-punch in it. “I’ll use that to directly insert the talons on top of where my claws emerge. Easy.” Theo looked up at Stiles. “Right?”

“This is gonna be so gross.” Stiles muttered, but sat down next to him. “Ok, let’s do it.

 

Stiles wiped the back of his mouth with his hand, as he finished dry-retching into the sink. “Fuck, Theo! That was way worse than I thought!” He managed, looking back at the chimera. “Ugh, so gross.”

“Haha, Stiles, you should’ve seen some of the chimeras the Doctors created before we came here! Now those were freaks of nature!” Theo laughed and walked over to him, admiring his new talons, watching as first his claws appeared and then the talons, as though they were simply longer versions. “Pretty cool.”

Stiles nodded, his eyes flashing purple. He looked at his fingers seeing only the werewolf claws emerge. “Hmm, so, I can’t mimic them?”

“Doesn’t look like it. Maybe because it’s an implant?”

“Yeah, maybe.” Stiles followed Theo back inside as they began to clean up. The chimera grabbed his arm gently, careful not to cut him.

“Stiles?”

“What? Can we at least get rid of the bloody tissues before we start making out? I know it’s your fetish and all, but-” He stopped talking when Theo reached over and turned his head towards the table.

“There’s one claw left.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so a slightly shorter chapter this week, folks. And it will be the last chapter until the 18th of March. I'm going in for a pretty serious operation on Monday, so I'm not likely to get a chapter up next week. I'm hoping to get the next one up the following week though, all going well.
> 
> I hope you're enjoying reading this as much as I'm enjoying writing it. There will be a Part Three, and Corey's gonna have a bigger role to play in it, along with Theo & Stiles, of course, so I'm going to start fleshing out his character a bit more, and that includes his cutesy unrequited love for Stiles!


	17. Harbringer of Doom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back from my surgery, all good, been writing this one for the past two weeks on and off, so it's pretty long. 
> 
> Only one of season 5 iirc where Theo isn’t in the episode, so there was quite a challenge in inserting him into the story arc. But this is a pretty Stiles-heavy chapter anyway. 
> 
> Also, I don’t play lacrosse, never did-football in high school- so I’m not 100% on the terminology, if I’ve made any mistakes…

Stiles flexed his fingers experimentally, but there was no pain, no feeling either, but Theo had assured him that the sensation would return. It was different to when he mimicked the abilities of his chimeras, this was something of his own. He was a little surprised that Theo wanted him to have the spare talon, but the chimera had insisted, saying that it would tie them together more than any other chimera and the Alpha Chimera. Stiles had blinked at that, but his boyfriend didn’t seem to get the significance of his words. Regardless, they did share something remarkable. _But will it work? A pity we don’t have a spare chimera to test it on…_ Stiles hummed under his breath, pushing open the door to the spare room, drawing on Theo’s eyes to see Corey sleeping fitfully, burned arm hugging a pillow to him. The Alpha Chimera lingered in the doorway, watching the younger chimera’s chest rise and fall, his face almost fully healed from the burns. His expression was smooth, making him appear younger than he was. Stiles tilted his head as Theo approached him, grinning as his boyfriend hugged him from behind.

“Stiles?” Theo whispered, nuzzling against his neck.

“Yeah, I’m coming, just wanted to make sure he was asleep.” The Alpha Chimera replied.

“Then let’s go.” Theo led him away from the guest room and towards his bedroom, shutting both doors behind him. Stiles smirked at him, and pulled off his t-shirt, feeling Theo’s eyes following him. 

“Well?”

“Yeah, tonight was a victory.”

“So? Something special then?”

“Does that mean…?” Theo asked eagerly as he unzipped his trousers.

“Hah, no. Not yet, Theo.” Stiles laughed quietly, naked except for his boxers. “Make it good and then maybe next time.”

“That’s what you said the last time!” Theo complained, pulling his socks off as he sat on the bed beside his boyfriend. “I thought you were, you know, ready?”

“I am, but c’mon, dude, every time we do anything more than making out, I’m remembering the night the Dread Doctors made me the Overmind. I remember what you said, Theo, how you used me.” Stiles explained, tone neutral, crossing his legs and facing Theo. “It’s fine, but I’m not ready to let you fuck me yet.”

“Right.” 

“Hey, don’t look so disappointed,” He reached out to him and kissed Theo gently. The chimera resisted for a moment before smiling against Stiles’ lips and parting them, letting their tongues slide against each other. Stiles lay back as Theo climbed on top of him, kissing him hard, aggressive, the need intense. _At least this is the benefit of him being so jealous!_ Stiles thought as he trailed a hand down Theo’s back. They were both still in their underwear, cocks straining against the fabric. Stiles moaned softly when Theo reached down and massaged him through the cotton. He broke the kiss to move back further on the bed, Theo raising to all fours until he was in a more comfortable position, and then lowering himself back onto Stiles’ body, hand snaking between them to jerk him off.

Stiles reached out for him and the other chimera met his gaze before closing his eyes and they kissed. The kiss grew deeper again and Theo pushed his tongue into Stiles' mouth as he stopped jerking his boyfriend and instead climbed on top of him; just enough air left between their bodies for the tension to form. Stiles was kissing him back, one hand pulling Theo closer, the other exploring his strong, muscular arms. After a few minutes, Theo rolled off him and lay on his back, pulling down his trunks. Stiles grinned, knowing what came next. The chimera pumped his cock a few times, smirking as Stiles lingered over it. He pushed it against Stiles' lips, teasing, testing, until the Alpha Chimera opened his mouth and eased the big cock head inside. Theo moaned and arched his back as Stiles began to suck, reaching over to guide his mouth up and down the thick shaft. Stiles used his hands to massage Theo’s balls while he filled his mouth with his boyfriend's cock. One of Theo's hands was on his head, the other was flexing behind him. Stiles reached out blindly to run his fingers across the chimera's smooth skin, the tanned tautness of his biceps.

Theo reached down and pulled Stiles up, catching his lips in his own, kissing him hard, tasting himself from the other chimera's lips. Stiles kept a hand on Theo's cock, slowly jerking off the spit-lubed shaft. He felt Theo’s hands push his straining boxers off his body, freeing his cock as it slapped against his stomach. Stiles broke off the kiss as Theo grinned at him, but they resumed once his hand found Stiles' cock and they jerked each other off as they made out. Theo pushed Stiles onto his back, not breaking their kiss as he rolled on top, his leg slipping between Stiles’ spread thighs, cock rubbing on the bedspread. The Alpha Chimera let his hands roam across Theo's body, touching his hard abs, his smooth, amazing arms, his soft, tanned ass; _You’re all mine, Theo!_  
Theo was moving too, this time using one of his hands to push Stiles' legs apart, the other still jerking him off, Stiles moaned breathlessly as he felt Theo’s finger brush outside his hole. The first one pushed against his opening, slipping past the resistance, he whimpered as he felt the pleasurable insertion. Theo pulled back from the kiss, confusion making him frown, "Are you already lubed?" He whispered.

Stiles smirked, tweaking his boyfriend's nipples. "Yeah, I like this, remember?"

Theo nodded, and resumed kissing him, adding another finger to the one inside Stiles' ass, probing, thrusting, flexing, feeling him quiver and grunt and moan. The Alpha Chimera groaned louder, ass quivering, legs stretching wide as though he wanted to impale himself on Theo’s fingers. He jacked his own cock furiously, Theo's free hand joining him. The chimera was kissing him hard, swallowing his moans, and Stiles was moaning a lot. He always did since Theo started to finger him, but Stiles enjoyed it, knowing it was part of the path towards one day getting fucked by his boyfriend. “Uh, uh, uh, yeah, oh, yeah.”

Theo pushed a third finger inside and that was when Stiles started to cum; groaning and moaning, his chest slick with sweat and making Theo's head explode with stars. His scent was overpowering, Theo was never sure if he was in control of his movements, or if the Alpha Chimera was controlling him. But it didn’t really matter, because there was nothing hotter than seeing Stiles right on the edge of ecstasy. He could see his boyfriend’s eyes pulsing purple, and flexed his fingers hard, as Stiles groaned louder.

“Uh, yeah, Theo!” Stiles was pushing down on the fingers buried inside him. 

Theo broke off kissing as Stiles opened his mouth, gasping and breathing hard. The chimera looked down as shots of thick white cum fired out of his boyfriend's cock and hit his hard abs and chest. “Mmmh!” Theo moaned at the sight and the expression on Stiles face, still fingering him but using his hand to jerk his own cock harder, beginning to shoot just as Stiles was finishing up. He moved closer to him, the Alpha Chimera urging him upwards, his cock pointing towards Stiles' chest. Theo jerked off faster, Stiles' hands on his thighs, and then he was exploding, groaning, grunting, floods of cum drenching Stiles upper chest, his face, his hair, his chin. “Oh, uh, oh my god! Yeah!” 

“Oh fuck, yeah, cum on me, Theo!” Stiles blinked in surprise, but moaned his appreciation at the fountain of cum that came out of Theo’s cock. Spent, Theo leant down and kissed Stiles, tasting his own cum on his boyfriend's lips, rubbing his half-hard cock against the cum coated abs. "Fucking cum everywhere," Stiles muttered as he grabbed his boxers to clean himself off. 

Theo just grinned and lay beside him naked, chest heaving. "That was awesome!"

 

Corey rolled onto his back, blinking sleepily at the ceiling. Something had woken him, but he couldn’t figure out what it was. _At least the burns don’t hurt anymore._ He held his right arm up and stretched his fingers in front of his eyes. _Looks awful though. Hmm._ The chimera raised himself up on his elbow, looking towards the door and concentrated. _Two heart-beats, across the hall, must be Stiles and Theo. They’re…beating fast, huh. Must be…_ He let the thoughts trail off, not wanting to think about Theo and Stiles together. Instead Corey reached over and pulled his phone towards him, flicking through the pics Mason sent him, not just tonight, but from before. It wasn’t anything R-rated, but suggestive and flirty. _He’s hot, really hot. So why isn’t that enough? Stiles is dating Theo, he’s never gonna like me the way I like him. I need to let it go and just, well I already have Mason. Fuck, that’s a hot one, nice briefs!_ Corey felt his cock getting hard, the fire only singed that area and he reached down with his left hand. He pumped his cock casually, there was still no pain; one hand handling his dick, the other scrolling through the shirtless pics of Mason on his phone. Corey stopped as he stumbled upon a picture of him and Lucas, both grinning in the summer sun by the lake, unaware of what was coming. The chimera released his cock and frowned. _Damn._ He sighed and locked his phone, returning it to the table beside the bed. _What am I doing? Why am I even here? You’re just torturing yourself by being near a guy who doesn't show any interest in being anything more than friends, more than Beta and Alpha!_

Corey sat up slowly, listening hard as the heart-beats in the other room slowed and he was sure Stiles and Theo were asleep. He looked at the rucksack beside the unused dresser; a few things from home, change of clothes, toothbrush. Enough to just leave, just get away from Beacon Hills. Corey looked at his reflection in the mirror, pulled off Stiles' t-shirt and grimaced at the burns that reached across a large swath of his chest and right arm. His face had healed, but the rest was slow, layers of skin burnt away. Corey thought he would have done anything for Stiles, but he never wanted to fight the Hellhound, and yet Stiles made him do it. If he couldn't do what the Alpha Chimera wanted by his own free will, what sort of chimera was he? Corey felt tears pricking his eyes as he thought about failing Stiles again. He didn't want to, but he wanted more in return. His eyes drifted back to his bag again. He still needed to go home, real home, and get the bundle of money he hid under his bed. Then he could go...

 

Theo stuck his head into the guest bedroom after Stiles had returned home, but it was empty. Completely empty. The chimera frowned, walking into the room, “Huh, he even stripped the bed clothes off. Guess Corey isn’t coming back. Is he really going to leave though?” Theo pulled out his phone, about to call his boyfriend, but then he paused. _Is this really such a bad thing? Sure, we lose a little bit of power, and a pretty rare ability. But on the other hand, Corey has no offensive abilities, and, well, he won’t be around to look at Stiles._ He grinned and slipped his phone back into his pocket. “Sorry, Corey.”

 

Stiles finished eating the brunch, thanking his father and standing up quickly.

“Stiles.” The Sheriff called his name, gesturing with his fork for his son to sit back down.

“Yeah?” The Alpha Chimera replied reluctantly and sank back into his seat. “What is it?”

“You’ve been spending a lot of time with Theo lately.”

“So?” Stiles frowned, “He’s my boyfriend.”

“So, I’ve noticed that your bed isn’t being slept in.”

“Oh.” Stiles felt a rush of heat flush up his neck. “Well, I can-”

“You’re being careful, right?” The Sheriff broke in, his own cheeks looking ruddy. “You know, protection?”

 _Oh my god…_ Stiles’ eyes widened, his reduced senses finally picking up on his father’s embarrassment. “Uh, no, no, not, ah, um, no.”

“What?”

“I mean, we don’t, I don’t need to. We’re not…It’s different.” He replied defensively.

“I know it’s different between two men, Stiles, but you still need to be careful.” The Sheriff tactfully avoided Stiles’ eyes and cut the fat from his bacon. “I can get you-”

“No! No,” Stiles lowered his voice after his initial shout. “I…if we decide to go that far, there’s…well, it’s not going to happen.”

“Good.” The Sheriff cleared his throat, finally raising his eyes. “Wait until college. You can go now.” Stiles stood hurriedly, pausing as his father spoke again. “Just, Stiles?”

“Yeah?”

“Promise me that you’ll spend at least four nights a week sleeping here. No matter what else is going on, I need to make sure you’re actually sleeping.”

“Uh, yeah, ok, Dad.” He wiped the sweat from his upper lip and ran up the stairs before his father could ask him anything else. “Damn that was embarrassing…” Stiles muttered to himself as he picked up his cell phone. There was a missed call from Theo and the ominous text message _We need to talk_ “Shit.” He dialled his boyfriend back immediately. “Theo? It’s me, what’s wrong?”

“Stiles, it’s…uh.” He took a breath, static on the line and the Alpha Chimera frowned.

“What? What happened?”

“It’s Corey. He’s gone.”

“Gone?” Stiles echoed, his eyes flicking purple. “No, I can feel him, he’s distant, but still in Beacon Hills.”

“Well, the room’s cleared out and all his stuff is gone.”

“Maybe he wanted to go home; his parents are taken care off. Me and Tracy made sure of that.” He looked around the room, shifting a pile of clothes. “Look, I’ll talk to him tomorrow before school. He’s still too injured to just take off.”

“Yeah, ok.” 

Stiles frowned as he heard Theo’s tone. “What? You want him to leave? Huh, what am I saying? Of course, you do.”

“That’s not fair, Stiles.” Theo replied. “I’m telling you, aren’t I? We can’t afford to lose the power he brings to the pack. Not when we’re so close. Besides, if there’s anyone he’ll stay for, it’s you.”

“And that doesn’t bother you?”

“Yeah, it bothers me, but the Chimera Emperor should be loved, and Corey is devoted to you.”

“Right.” Stiles replied slowly, a smile tugging his lips when he heard Theo refer to him by his soon-to-be realized title. “Come over this evening, my Dad is giving me flack for spending so much time with you.”

“Is it a problem?”

“No, it’s fine, just, you know, come over.” 

 

"Yeah?" Stiles answered the unknown number, shaking his head as Theo offered him another soda from the pack he brought with him. “Who is this?”

"It's Parrish."

"Ah, finally come to your senses?" Stiles replied, smirking at Theo across the room.

"No, I..." There was a pause on the other end of the line and then the Deputy spoke again, "I'm still not sure, Stiles, this Alpha Chimera thing, it's, well it's not why I called."

"I see." He replied shortly. "What do you want, Deputy?"

"Your help. Scott and Chris Argent have already agreed to help me, but I want you to come along too."

"Why?"

"You want to stop the Beast, don't you? So do I, so do they, but I don't know what I'm doing, Stiles. And I know there's stuff you're not telling us, Theo is close to the Dread Doctors and so are you. Please, I'm asking you to help me." The Deputy’s tone was pleading and Stiles nodded to himself.

"I'll expect something in return, Parrish."

The Deputy gave a short laugh, "After what happened with Lydia? After Valack nearly killed her, do you really think you're in a position to ask for more?"

"I wasn't asking." Stiles bit back, but then he hesitated, considering it. "Fine, you got me interested. What do I need to know?"

“So, I don’t really know how to start. Um,” Parrish paused and Stiles sighed impatiently. He looked up as Theo opened the door to Tracy and Josh. The Alpha Chimera waved them inside as the Deputy spoke again. "It happens every night, I don't know when, and I don't know what triggers it, but at some point, every night I leave. When I come back I find burned clothes and blood. If I didn't know certain things, I'd call it sleep walking, but I'm not just wandering out the door, I'm heading out with purpose. I'm searching for something. That's why I need you to follow me. I need to know where I'm going and what I'm doing. If people are getting hurt because of me, if I'm adding to the body count. I have to know. When it happens tonight night, when it takes over, I want you to follow me. And if you have to, I want you to stop me."

“Stop you? Yes, Parrish, if it comes to that, we will stop you.” Stiles grinned as his fingers itched. _Maybe I don’t need a test chimera after all._

“Good.” He sounded relieved. “Scott will contact you if I’m, well, if the Hellhound wakes up.”

“Sounds good. Sleep well, Parrish.” Stiles replied.

“You can call me Jordan, Stiles.”

“Sure, but I prefer Parrish.” 

“Oh, ok.”

“Goodnight.” Stiles said firmly, and looked at his chimeras. “Ok, looks like the Hellhound is causing Parrish stress, we’re gonna follow him.”

“Why?” Josh asked, confused. “Why do we care?”

“Because if he’s killing people, Scott will want to stop him, with me or Theo there, we can benefit from it. Scott won’t kill him of course,” Stiles added, shrugging. He looked at Theo meaningfully. “We’ll try not to either, but his power shouldn’t go to waste. Sit tight here, the werewolf will call us when they’re on the move.”

“I’m not sure I should go with you.” Theo said to Stiles after Josh and Tracy went into the kitchen. “Take Tracy. She’ll be useful if this turns into some sort of trap.”

“Good thinking.” Stiles nodded, “And you?”

“I’ll be here, if you need me.”

“Ok.” Stiles sat back down, glancing at his phone as the rest of his pack talked. It was just before midnight when his phone buzzed. "Message from Scott, Parrish is on the move." He stood up, nodding at Tracy, "C'mon, Scott doesn't like Theo, so you'll be accompanying me."

 

Stiles drove quickly, glancing at Tracy as his phone buzzed again. "Well?"

"He's heading towards the school, Scott and Liam are a few minutes away."

"Good. Keep your guard up, I'm not expecting a trap, but we can't be too careful."

"Is that why you brought me?"

"You're useful: a weapon, Tracy, and werewolves are weak to Kanima venom." Stiles replied dispassionately, shifting up a gear as he increased speed. "If things become...interesting, you know what to do."

"What about the Hellhound?"

Stiles laughed, his eyes glinting in the darkness, "Don't worry about the Deputy, if he’s killing people or is about to, Scott will interfere and I’ll have an opportunity to test a new upgrade.” She looked at him strangely, but the Alpha Chimera ignored her, instead changing into the highest gear as he ran a red light, swerving around the on-coming traffic. The road to the high school was deserted and Stiles grinned as the needle pushed eighty, he skidded, braking hard as he rounded the last corner and came to a screeching halt in front of Scott's parked bike. The chimeras got out as Scott and Liam came back from the entrance to the school building. 

The Alpha Chimera nodded at Scott coldly. "Where's the Hellhound?"

"Argent is tracking him, looks like he's heading around the back." Liam said after Scott just stared at Stiles. "Do you think we should-"

"Yes." Stiles broke in, smirking at the werewolf, "I think we should." His eyes glowed purple in the darkness, Tracy's echoing beside him. Stiles glanced down as his nails morphed into her Kanima claws and smiled wider at the Beta. "After you."

They crossed the concourse and met with Argent. "Where's Parrish?" Scott asked.

"I lost him," Argent admitted, "He's moving too fast."

"Scott," Liam called out, his attention elsewhere. "That guy isn't moving at all."

They turned and began to follow a trail of dead bodies and body parts down the hallway. Stiles could feel Argent's stare, the way Scott looked at him from time to time, the barely restrained violence of his chimera beside him, and the delectably sweet scent of the Beta werewolf in front of him. _If he does not die, he will serve, oh, how he will serve...Fucking delicious!_ He found himself thinking idly as they came to a stop near the fleet of parked school buses. “Hmm.”

"Look." Liam nodded towards the first bus, reversed into the bay, the back door open, blood dripping down the steps. Stiles frowned, enhanced vision allowing him to see clearly the shape of bodies inside the vehicle, broken, bloodied, torn apart. He suppressed his grin as Scott glanced at him. 

“Looks like the Beast was busy.” The werewolf commented.

“If it was the Beast.” Stiles said absently, scanning the other buses. “Keep an eye out for the Hellhound.”

There was a movement from inside the bus, a survivor, reaching out, gasping his words through blood spattered teeth. “Help me…”

Scott moved forward, intending to pull the guy out, but he was interrupted as Parrish appeared. "It's a trap!" The Hellhound called out, emerging from another door. He was burning, on fire, skin riven by molten fissures, his voice a meld of Parrish and something else. His torso was streaked with soot and smoke, his sweat pants damaged but still somehow clinging to his hips.

“Help me!” The survivor repeated his pleas and Scott's face became grim, and he moved forward determinedly. 

Stiles rolled his eyes, _How predictable, Scott!_

“You can’t help him.” The Hellhound spoke again, glancing back with eyes of burning fire. His gaze lingered as it connected to Stiles’ purple-eyed stare. Then he turned back to observe the bus. “It is here.”

The darkness of the interior of the bus shifted and Stiles felt his lips twitch as the Beast revealed itself, bright eyes gleaming as it grabbed the begging man and ripped him in half, throwing the shredded torso out the door. _Glorious! What a predator._ The Alpha Chimera stared at it, their eyes connecting for a moment before the Beast shifted his attention to the Hellhound.

"That's big." Liam whispered, backing up into Stiles, "No one said he was that big!" The Alpha Chimera moistened his lips as the Beta's back hit his chest, he smelt of fear and Stiles grinned before pushing the Liam forward.

"What happened to your courage, werewolf?" 

Scott took his eyes away from the Beast as Stiles moved forward to stand beside Parrish, gesturing at the snarling monster. "Isn't it magnificent?! So, little left of the chimera though," Stiles glanced at Parrish, seeing the Hellhound frown, his voice lowered to just above a whisper. "Let me get close, let me control him, and we can end this tonight."

"No." The Hellhound snarled and pushed him aside, fire consuming his body, long claws springing out from his hands. The Beast began to run and Parrish chased after it. Stiles sighed disappointedly and turned back to the others. The werewolves were staring at him, having heard his words.

"What? I'm impatient." Stiles shrugged. “As Alpha Chimera, I can control any chimera, not sure if they told you that, Argent.”

“Scott mentioned it.” The man shouldered his gun, walking forward. “He also said that you’re not affected by mountain ash. Is that true?”

“Yeah, we’re immune from the, uh, haha, rulebook.” Stiles gestured vaguely behind him. “The Beast is still a chimera, for the moment, if I can control him, force him back to his teenage form, maybe then we have a chance.”

“A chance to do what?” Scott finally spoke.

“End this, you don’t want to kill him, Parrish sure as hell doesn’t want blood on his hands, not teenage blood anyway. And a chimera is mine, my pack, I don’t want him dead.” Stiles replied, looking at the werewolf. “The Dread Doctors want a werewolf back, not a chimera, we’re running out of time.”

“So?”

“So, the next time we get a chance, I need to connect to the Beast, Awaken it using my own power, and the killing stops, Scott. That’s the important part, right?”

“Right.” Argent replied when Scott didn’t. “The Beast is getting smarter.”

“Yeah, he is.” The Alpha Chimera gestured for Tracy to follow as he walked past Liam and Scott. “That’s why we should be working together, Scott, now more than ever.” 

Scott didn’t reply, he didn’t even look at Stiles as the Alpha Chimera swept by.

 

Corey looked up when he heard the knock at the door, ever since he'd come home he'd been zoning out sounds, trying not to hear his parents. But this was different, _they_ never knocked. Corey opened the door, hesitating when he saw Stiles standing on the other side. "Um."

"Hi." Stiles said brightly, looking at him with a smile. _Wow, super-cute today! Nice hair, loose t-shirt though, and you're sad, in pain, no. No pain, Corey, you don't feel it, not anymore._ "Hey."

"Hi." Corey replied slowly, he blinked, the dull ache he'd been feeling all morning had disappeared and the chimera stood to one side. He followed the Alpha Chimera with his eyes as Stiles entered and looked around the room. Corey closed the door and frowned at him. "How'd you get in?"

"Oh, your father let me."

"My...what?"

"Yeah, he's a big fan of the glowing eyes!" Stiles spun on his heel and flashed a grin at Corey. "Claws helped too!"

"Huh." Corey looked at the floor. "Is that why he was scared of me when I came back yesterday?"

"Probably, but it's better, right?"

"Better..." Corey trailed off thoughtfully. "You did that...for me?"

"I take care of my pack, Corey, my friends." Stiles looked at him. “You shouldn’t be afraid in your own home.” The younger chimera held his gaze for a moment before looking away, cheeks flushing. Stiles coughed, feeling awkwardness in the air between them. He walked over to the window and picked up the lacrosse stick. "Hmm, you play?"

"I try to, I'm...I kinda suck." Corey shrugged, wondering why Stiles was here. _Does he know I’m leaving?_

"Not anymore you don't; faster, stronger, better reflexes; it'll make you a good player."

"Isn't that cheating?"

"Yeah, it is." Stiles looked at him again, grinning, "And you're too honorable for that. Hey, it's a compliment. It’s why I like you." He added as Corey looked upset. "But, uh, paying you compliments isn't why I'm here." Stiles lay the stick beside Corey's open duffle bag. He looked at the chimera in front of him. "Going somewhere, Corey?"

“I…” Corey moistened his lips. “I can’t stay here, Stiles, in Beacon Hills, I mean.”

“Why?” The Alpha Chimera asked as he sat on the edge of Corey’s bed. “I told you that you can stay in Theo’s for as long as you need. Or in my house for that matter?”

“It’s not that. It’s-” He broke off, looking at his slowly healing hand. “It’s this. I don’t want to get hurt again. I don’t want to fight people.”

“I apologised for that, Corey.” Stiles said softly. “Don’t you think I feel bad about it? You’re special, one of the good guys, and you care, you care so much; about doing the right thing, about being on the right side. Which is why I brought you back. Will you stay?”

“I heard what you said that night, Stiles,” He swallowed hard and sat next to his Alpha. “But I, I can’t.”

“Hmm.” Stiles paused, glancing side along at Corey. “Ok, well, I’m asking you to stay. Will that make a difference?” He held the younger chimera’s gaze. "Not for power or pack or because you're a chimera. But because I want you to stay. Will you do that?"

"I..." Corey hesitated, eyes still locked onto Stiles. "I want to but..."

"But?" Stiles prompted.

"I don't want to fail you again."

"You haven't failed me." Stiles frowned and stood up, gesturing vaguely. "If anything, I failed you."

"No, it's, I know you can make me do what you want, but I just, I _want_ to, I don't know how to explain it." Corey moved over to the edge of his bed, his head hanging, expression hidden from Stiles.

The Alpha Chimera frowned, he could smell the misery coming off Corey and knelt beside him. "Corey? What is it?"

"It's stupid. I want something I'm never gonna have."

"I know what that's like." Stiles smiled wryly at him. Standing up again, he placed his hand on the younger chimera's shoulder, "Besides, you should never say never."

Corey looked at him, lips slightly parted. "I..."

"So, are you gonna stay? For me, if not for anything else?" The Alpha Chimera looked at him questioningly. 

"Yeah, I can do that." _How the hell could I ever think of leaving you, Stiles?_ He latched onto the sliver of hope that the Alpha Chimera gave him and nodded.

“Good. Now come here.”

“Huh?” Corey asked, brow raised.

“I can smell your sorrow, come on.” Stiles repeated, smiling a little. 

Corey blinked but stood up and let the older teenager hug him, tensing up a little being so close to Stiles, close enough to feel his hard chest, smell his intoxicating scent so clearly, strong arms wrapping around his back. Corey relaxed into his embrace, resting his head on Stiles’ shoulder, trying to angle his crotch away as his trousers bulged uncontrollably.

Stiles outwardly ignored the hardon pressing against his leg, even as his mind went into over drive. _Woah, if I wasn't with Theo, you bet your fine ass I’d be getting with you Corey! Same age as Liam, with awesome supernatural powers? Yes please!_ He grinned to himself and gently rocked the younger chimera as Corey tightened his grip. “That’s it, it’s alright.”

 

Corey was in the locker room, replacing the stuff he had smuggled out the day before. Mason appeared behind him. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, hey." Corey replied, avoiding his boyfriend's eyes. "Just putting some stuff back."

"Some? That looks like everything!" Mason joked, but Corey didn't smile. "Wait, were you..."

"I took everything out yesterday, after the extra practice? I wasn't even going to be here this morning." He finally looked at Mason, "Not in Beacon Hills."

"So, you're just gonna leave?"

Corey stopped what he was doing and nodded.

"What about your parents?"

"They barely noticed when I died the first time!" Corey replied bitterly, he sighed, and pulled off his sweater. "Look at this." He heard Mason's gasp. "This is life in Beacon Hills. This is what happens." The pain was bad, away from Stiles, from the deadening power of his influence, Corey had downed two Tylenol and it didn't seem to make a dent in the agony. He shivered when he felt Mason's fingers touch the burns along his back. He turned to look at Mason, seeing the upset on his face, his scent drifting between fear, hurt, and nausea. "Do you see? Here." He guided Mason's hand to his chest, between his pectoral muscles, grimacing slightly. 

"Am I hurting you?" He blinked, looking at Corey's face.

"Yeah, but it's alright. It'll disappear when I get back to my Alpha."

"Your...Stiles?"

"Uh huh, he can make me stop feeling pain, increase my rate of healing."

"So, why are you leaving then?" Mason asked, confused as he pulled his hand away.

"I said I was thinking of leaving, not that I'm going to. He convinced me not to." Corey looked down as Mason frowned.

"Because that would reduce his power, wouldn’t it?"

"It's not about power, not for him."

"You're joking, right? You're covered in third degree burns because Stiles had to get what Stiles wanted." Mason shot back.

"That's not true! You don't know anything about it!" Corey yelled at him, furious suddenly. "He brought me back to life! Stiles! I was the first one he resurrected, I'm more than power, more than a killer like Tracy or Josh! I’m important!" 

"I, ok, Corey, calm down." Mason was taken aback by the fierceness of his boyfriend's defense of the Alpha Chimera. He stretched out his hands placatingly, "I didn't mean, look, you're amazing, you can make yourself invisible! You're fast, you're strong, people like me need people like you to save our asses! We need you to stay. I need you to stay."

 _Same words, but they don't have the same ring, the same power._ He looked up. "No, you don't, you're smart. And it's the smart ones who always survive."

"Then survive with me!"

Corey sighed, and looked at his pullover with a grimace. He reached inside his bag and pulled out a looser shirt instead, buttoning it up as Mason continued to speak. "Look, Scott's gonna have a plan. He always does. A couple of weeks ago he brought Hayden here with cell phone jammers to block the frequency of the Dread Doctors..." Mason trailed off, looking down. His eyes jumped up to Corey. "Follow me!" He said after a moment.

Corey frowned, his own eyes flicking up and down his boyfriend’s body, confused, but then he grabbed his bag and lacrosse stick and followed Mason out of the locker room. 

Outside he jogged to keep up with Mason's rapid strides. "It's frequency! Every time the Beast shows up: Liam and Hayden saw the Beast at the cell transmission towers, the attack downtown happened right outside the radio-astronomy observatory, Deaton was attacked at an army base which has huge radar arrays!"

Corey looked at him, squinting in the sun, still confused by Mason. "I don't-"

"The Beast always shows up near a transmission source!" Mason explained excitedly. "What if that's how the Dread Doctors are doing it? By broadcasting a high frequency transmission!"

"So, we should be looking for some sort of transmission?" Corey asked as he began to understand.

"We don't have to look." Mason nodded at the local news crew. "The local news always covers the games; there could be two, maybe three, vans all transmitting." He turned back to Corey.

"Are you saying that the Beast is going to be out there tonight?"

"I'm saying people are going to die!"

Corey nodded and muttered, "I need to tell Stiles." He broke away from Mason, but his boyfriend grabbed his arm.

"Wait! Won't you come with me to tell Scott and Liam?"

"No, I need to tell him."

"Corey-" Mason started before he was interrupted.

"You don't get it? Scott has done nothing but hurt me!"

"And Stiles has...?"

"He's my Alpha." Corey replied coldly. Mason met his eyes and the chimera held his gaze before dropping it, afraid he would give away too much.

"Right." Mason grumbled, "Look, I'll tell Scott and Liam, you tell Stiles and Theo. They're meant to be allies, anyway, eh?" 

 

Stiles looked up as Corey approached him furtively, the Alpha Chimera frowned, pushing away his unfinished English paper. “Expecting to be followed?”

“Not sure.” The younger chimera muttered, sitting across from him, “Maybe. I thought I saw someone lurking in the stacks.”

Stiles chuckled and nodded at him. “So? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong. Well, I was talking to Mason just now, and he has this theory about the Beast and that it’ll appear here tonight, at the game.”

“Oh?” Stiles quirked a brow, interested. He saw Corey grimace in pain and reached out to tap his hand. “Hey, stop.” The Alpha Chimera waited a moment until the chimera breathed a sigh of relief. “Better?”

“Yeah, thanks.” Corey smiled at him as the pain subsided. “So, Mason thinks that the Beast is controlled or triggered, or something by a certain frequency, and he’s connected the sightings to places where these frequencies are found.”

“Clever.” Stiles replied, frowning. “Did he figure anything else out? Maybe something more specific?”

"Mason says it's not just the transmitter frequency, it's high powered, it has to be a really strong signal." Corey added, shrugging.

"Makes sense." They looked up as Theo emerged from the stacks. "May I?"

"Of course," Stiles pushed out the chair beside him. "Where have you been anyway?"

"Recharging Josh, I figured we'd need him juiced for tonight." Theo grinned at him, smile fading as he turned to Corey, "The frequencies change based on what the Dread Doctors want from their creation; in this case that the Beast is being purposely made to change faster and remember more each time." 

"Using frequencies?" Stiles frowned sceptically.

"No, by shifting." Theo clarified, "The important part is when it shifts into a werewolf. You said last night that there's so little of the chimera left inside; it's nearly ready."

"Based on the information Lydia got from Valack and that Scott has shared with me, though probably not all of it," Stiles added bitterly, "Once the Beast remembers who he is, his name, he stops turning back into the chimera and starts turning back into himself. The man behind the legend."

"And the teenager?" Corey asked.

"Gone." Theo replied for Stiles. He looked at his boyfriend. "If we get a shot tonight, we have to take it. You connect to it, Awaken it before it's too late, or else..."

"Or else we go to Plan B." Stiles finished, smiling darkly. "I want the full pack there, Theo. Scott and his pack will have something heroic planned, no doubt, but if we get to the Beast first, then his power is ours!"

"So, what do we do?" Corey said, looking between the older chimeras.

"We need to find the identity of the chimera hiding the Beast, and at least we have a clue." Stiles reached into his bag, pulling out a blown-up photo of the bloody footprint. "We got this at the hospital; it's only a partial, so Strauss wasn't able to get the make or brand, but it's a size ten."

"Definitely a guy." Corey whispered, as Theo frowned at Stiles.

"Strauss?"

"It pays to have friends in law enforcement. Plus, he's interested, in the supernatural." Stiles added when Theo growled. "Relax, I trust him a lot more than Parrish or my Dad right now."

Theo tapped the photo. "The sole will have Parrish's blood; that's how we'll find him."

Corey frowned, “So, you don’t mean to take out the transmission vans? That’s where Mason thinks the frequency will come from.”

“No, like I said, Scott will probably focus on that. We should track the Beast, or at least find out the identity of the teenage chimera.” Stiles explained. “And we need to act quickly, using the time they’ll be spending on saving people to actually take out the threat.”

“Right.” Theo looked at Stiles, “It’s against Devenford Prep, the game?”

“Uh huh, been a few months since we last played them.” Stiles replied, “We lost, by the way; four-two.”

“Hmm, close.”

“You’re thinking that maybe one of them could be our chimera?” Corey asked, glancing at Theo.

“Yeah,” Theo nodded, “We need to exclude them if nothing else. And all their shoes will be in one place.”

“Good idea.” Stiles agreed. “We should…Wait, Scott’s coming.” The chimeras looked up as Scott and Liam emerged from the shelves. Stiles felt a smile playing around his lips as Scott’s scent reached him; unsure, nervous even. Liam was looking between them, the Alpha Chimera frowned. _Is that fear I smell?_ Aloud, he nodded at the werewolves. “What do you want?”

Corey glared at Scott, but stood up hurriedly as the werewolf came closer. The Alpha Chimera glanced at him, the fiery smell of anger flooding the small space between the library shelves. The younger chimera moved back behind Theo and Stiles as Scott stopped at the foot of the table. Theo smirked, seeing his boyfriend’s eyes flare, knowing his own were the same burning purple. 

“Stiles! People could see.” Scott hissed, but the Alpha Chimera just laughed.

“Exactly! That’s kinda the point, Scott.” Stiles shrugged, grinning. “You’ve been hiding too long, you should be embracing your power and letting it fuel your rise.”

“I…” Scott broke off, brows pulled together.

“Oh, he doesn’t understand.” Stiles said to Theo and Corey, laughing quietly. He looked back at Scott, seeing him glare. “Oh, come now Scott, a little bit of teasing is a small price to pay after you took one of my chimeras hostage.”

“What?”

“Forgotten already? You threatened to tear out Corey’s throat, that wasn’t very nice.” The Alpha Chimera let his claws emerge, pulling the ability from Theo, and rapped them on the table rhythmically as silence descended between them. 

“Your boyfriend had his claws in Lydia’s neck!” Liam said suddenly, “We knew you couldn’t be trusted!”

“You took Corey and Josh first.” Theo replied calmly. “And as I recall it was us who saved Lydia, and your ass as well.”

“How’d you figure?”

“Mason told me Hayden jumped the wall.” Corey spoke up, “You never would have gotten out without her!”

"What’s your point?" Liam spat at him. 

"Theo resurrected Hayden, she's part of our pack, werewolf!" Corey fired back, his hands on the back of Stiles and Theo’s chairs.

“Ok, ok,” Scott held up his hands, “Guys, can we just…can we let the past go?”

Stiles shrugged, “I suppose I can let that insult slide-Corey mightn’t, but I will. Depending on what you’re offering, of course.”

“How did…uh, you were right last night; we need to work together.” The werewolf glanced at Liam before pressing on. “Mason told us about his frequency theory, I assume that Corey filled you in?”

“Yeah, he did.” Stiles nodded. “You have your plan, I take it?”

“Sure, but the only thing I need from you is to get the game cancelled. Your Dad.” Scott added. “He should be able to cancel the game, right?”

“And, what, you can’t ask him?”

“Not really; you’re his son, and he’ll be wondering why I’m alone.” Scott paused, looking meaningfully at Stiles. “Of course, I could tell him the truth, tell him the sort of friends you have now.”

Stiles smirked. “Hah, blackmail, Scott? Hmm, suits you.” He saw the werewolf squirm uncomfortably. _Think you can play me? Of course he has point, my father can’t know, not yet, not until we’re strong enough to overcome the armed response of the Sheriff’s Office._ He nodded slowly, “Alright, Scott, I’ll come with you. I’ll be needing-”

“Take Corey.” Scott broke in quickly. 

The Alpha Chimera hesitated, glancing at Theo, seeing his expression turn annoyed. _Why should I indulge you, Scott?_ His boyfriend nodded slowly. “Fine. Corey, let’s go.” He stood up as Scott and Liam backed away slowly until they were on the main Library floor again. “Are you ok with this, Theo?”

“No. But, I’m used to it.”

“Well, don’t get comfortable, this is the final time the werewolf gets what he wants.” Stiles pushed his books into his bag, feeling his boyfriend’s eyes follow his movements. “Once we control the Beast, everything will change.” He grinned as the image of Scott on his knees in front of him, stripped and beaten, surrendering to the Chimera Emperor, flashed before his mind’s eye. 

“As you say, Alpha.” Theo muttered, gesturing for Stiles to go ahead of him.

 

Corey followed Stiles and Scott into the Sheriff’s station, even if he moved closer to the Alpha Chimera than the werewolf. He glanced around as Stiles talked to the Deputy at the desk.

“Corey?”

He heard his name being called and turned towards Stiles. “Yes?”

“C’mon, we’ll wait in here.” Stiles beckoned him closer. “Hey, you alright?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.”

“Good, ignore Scott, pretend he’s not even here.” Stiles had lowered his voice, but Corey still saw the way the Alpha looked over at them. “Right?”

“Right.” He nodded and sat on the couch beside Stiles as they waited for the Sheriff to return. Scott leaned against the wall opposite them, arms folded. An uncomfortable silence descended as Corey looked at Stiles every now and then, his stomach tying itself into a tighter knot.

Stiles stood up when his father opened the door. “Dad!”

“Stiles,” The Sheriff looked around at the three of the, “School tour?”

“This is Corey, he’s a friend of mine, he’s a chimera, you remember him, right?”

“I remember.” The Sheriff glanced at the teenager and then back at his son. “Doris said you had something urgent to discuss?”

“We need you to get the school to cancel the game tonight. The Beast is going to be there, and I don’t think I need to tell you about the carnage it could inflict with a crowd of that size.” Stiles explained as Scott nodded along, expression serious.

"Stiles, I'm, I'm not so sure I have that authority."

"You're the County Sheriff! You can't cancel a high school lacrosse game?"

"It's a charity game, that generates tens of thousands of dollars," The Sheriff explained, "And I would have to go to the School Board with evidence of a credible threat."

"A giant werewolf rampaging across the field, killing people might seem like an incredible threat!" Stiles gestured wildly.

"Ah, we have a presence at the game already. I'll double it, triple it."

"Quadruple it!" Stiles followed his father as he moved to the filing cabinet. "You know what, octuple it!"

Corey stared at him, eyes wide. _Did he just skip?_

The Sheriff sighed, and looked down, before glancing at Stiles, "There's always one person who can forfeit the game: the coach!"

"Not when you're stuck with a substitute who's strictly by the book." Scott interjected.

"What about Finstock?"

"Rehab for the last seven months." Stiles explained.

"Maybe it's time to check on his progress?" The Sheriff offered.

“Yeah, we can do that.” Scott nodded looking to the Alpha Chimera for agreement.

“Fine.” Stiles conceded after a moment. “Just make sure your officers are ready, Dad.”

The Sheriff nodded and then reached out to grab Stiles by the shoulder before he left. “A word?”

“Err, yeah, ok.” Stiles looked at Corey, “Wait outside for me, Corey. I’ll be a few minutes.” The younger chimera nodded and slipped out after Scott. Stiles looked at his father. “What is it?”

“He’s a chimera, Stiles, are you sure it’s a good idea to be friends with him? And wasn’t he dead?”

“For a while, Theo brought him back.” Stiles shrugged as his father frowned. “I know; resurrection, it’s crazy stuff, but Corey’s a good person. If anyone deserved a second chance it’s him.”

“How come?”

“Well, he’s uh, he’s _those_ Bryants, from Beacon Heights.”

“Ah.” The Sheriff looked out at the chimera for a moment. “A lot of callouts to that address; the wife never pressed charges though. Shit.” He rubbed his face. “At least he hasn’t killed his father yet.”

“And he won’t.” Stiles assured him, “Corey is….well, like I said, a good person, and his abilities aren’t dangerous. He was going to leave town actually.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, I, uh, convinced him to stay.” Stiles felt his father frown at him. “In fact, I said he could stay in our spare room, if that’s ok?”

“Yeah, but…” The Sheriff hesitated, choosing his words with care. “Stiles, is there more to you and him-”

“No, damn, Dad.” Stiles shook his head. “Look, he’s the only chimera who hasn’t hurt anyone, even if he’s been hurt. Parrish kinda, uh, set him on fire.”

“What?” The Sheriff barked loudly. “When?”

“A few nights ago, don’t worry, he’s healing, but really, really slowly.” The Alpha Chimera suppressed his urge to grin as he saw his father’s brows knit together. _Nothing like hurting an innocent to tarnish that reputation, Parrish, and there’s no one who looks more innocent than Corey!_ “So, I just figured that he’d need somewhere to recover in peace. Is that a problem?”

“No.” The Sheriff replied absently. “No, that’s…damn it, Parrish.”

Stiles nodded and walked away, gesturing for Corey to follow him outside the station. “C’mon.” 

“Stiles?” Scott was waiting for him outside, holding his helmet in his hands. “Wait a minute.”

The Alpha Chimera looked at him and nodded. “We’re seeing Coach together, right?”

“Um, yeah.” He sounded taken aback, as though he was expecting some sort of fight. “When you’re ready.”

“Uh huh, come here, Corey.” He put one hand on the younger chimera’s shoulder and pulled him closer, voice low enough that Scott wouldn’t be able to hear him. “Ok, I’m gonna go with him, you need to go to my house, there’s a key under a pot at the back door. Um, I think I left my window unlocked too, if you can’t find the key.”

“But what about-”

“It’ll be fine,” Stiles broke in, steering him towards the street. “It’s about a fifteen-minute walk from here, leave your bag in my Jeep and I’ll bring it to you later. I need you rested for tonight.”

“Ok, but will you be alright?” He looked at Stiles, concerned.

“Yeah, if he tries anything, he’ll find I’m not defenceless.” The Alpha Chimera smiled at his confused expression. “Go on now.” Stiles waited until Corey had walked away before turning back to Scott. “So, you and me talking to the coach.”

“Yeah.” The werewolf approached him. “We’ll take your Jeep?”

“Sure,” Stiles gestured for Scott to follow him. “What makes you think that he’ll listen to me anyway? You’re the captain.”

“Yeah, but Coach always liked you.” Scott pulled himself into the Jeep’s passenger seat. “And you always got on well with him.”

“Huh, I wouldn’t exactly describe us as close.”

“No, I guess not, that was always Greenburg’s thing.”

Stiles laughed and Scott was looking at him, smiling slightly. “Yeah, my attention was focused on something else; the co-captain, both of them.” He smirked at Scott.

"Err."

"Don't hurt yourself by overthinking it, Scott." The Alpha Chimera snickered and started the engine. There was silence for a moment as the tension heightened between them and Scott frowned at him.

“How come you’re going alone? I know Corey can blend in so it’s not as if he couldn’t have come.” He tilted his head when Stiles didn’t respond. “Well? Don't you need one chimera always beside you?”

“Yeah, that used to be true.” Stiles smiled slowly. "Of course, the benefit of being the Alpha Chimera is that there's room for upgrades!"

“Upgrades?” Scott asked slowly.

“You’re not in any danger, Scott.” He glanced at the werewolf as he turned onto another street. “Besides, I want the game cancelled too, the Beast will bathe in blood if it’s unleashed on that crowd.”

Scott frowned, unable to tell if Stiles was excited or nervous. “I guess.”

“You have a backup plan, I take it? In case we can’t convince the Coach to come with us.”

“Yeah, Malia will sabotage the TV vans.” Scott explained. Stiles grunted and silence stretched between them again. The Alpha looked at the chimera, “Stiles?”

“What?”

“What Theo said, before Eichen House, about your, uh, ‘new world order,’ what did he mean?”

 _Ah, that._ Stiles grinned and glanced at him. “Well, Scott, it’s like at the library today, we’re not hiding, and sooner or later the truth is going to come out.”

“What?” Scott spluttered, “You can’t! Seriously Stiles, forget anything else, you’re painting a massive target on your back. The hunters will come after you.”

“So?”

“So, they’ll-”

“What? We’re immune to mountain ash, and there’s never enough hunters to be a real threat, no matter their firepower.” Stiles shook his head, “Look, whatever happens will happen, and right now we need to concentrate on taking down the Beast and freeing the chimera locked inside. That werewolf is doing a good enough job revealing the supernatural on its own.”

Scott nodded silently, his brows furrowed. Stiles smirked to himself. _So easy to push you off balance, Scott, keep thinking about what I might do, and not what I’m going to do. You’ll never see it coming until you’re forced to your knees before the Chimera Emperor!_

 

Theo hammered the accelerator and overtook the three slower cars in front of him. It was only as he was blasting past the second one that he saw the Sheriff’s livery on the side. “Shit.” He muttered as the sirens wailed behind him. _I can out-run him, maybe, ah fuck it._ The chimera slowed down and pulled in as the cruiser stopped behind him. He glanced in the mirror, smiling suddenly as he recognised Deputy Strauss stepping out of the car. “Hmm.” There was a tap on his window and Theo lowered it. “Deputy?”

“Do you know why I pulled you over?”

“Speeding, I’m guessing.”

“Yeah, dangerous over-taking, and you also ran a red light.” The Deputy squinted in the sun at him. “You look familiar.”

“I’m Theo, Theo Raeken, Stiles’ boyfriend.”

“Oh, that’s it.” Strauss considered him for a minute. “Please get out of the vehicle.”

“Sure,” Theo nodded and opened the door. The road was deserted now, just the two of them, he looked at the Deputy. “Well?”

“Sorry?”

“Stiles told me that you’ve been helping him; the shoe print, and you’ve seen some of what he can do.” Theo flicked his claws out suddenly and Strauss’ eyes widened. The chimera sniffed the air discretely, _Excited, huh? Ok, I can work with that._ “Deputy?”

“You’re like him? Glowing eyes?”

“Oh yeah, I got those too.” Theo smirked, his gaze turning yellow for a moment. Strauss gulped and moistened his lips.

“Wow, so the supernatural is a real thing, then?”

“Sorta, me and Stiles are chimeras; constructed supernatural creatures.” Theo explained.

“Constructed? What does that mean?”

“It’s a long story, let’s just say that certain individuals who meet genetic criteria and are strong enough, can have their DNA spliced with animal and supernatural creatures and become chimeras.” Theo gestured grandly. “Interested?”

“Uh, yeah, sounds cool.” Strauss grinned at him. “So, what can you do?”

“I’m a werewolf, mostly.” Theo side-eyed him as they walked towards the grassy verge. “I actually got an upgrade a few nights ago.”

“Upgrade?” He was confused again, but his voice and scent marked him as very interested.

“See?” Theo flicked his claws out again, except this time a second set slid down over his werewolf claws; larger talons that glowed dully in the bright afternoon sun. “Wait until night time and they’ll glow blue.”

“Awesome.”

“Yeah.” The chimera looked Strauss up and down. _I wonder…Maybe we’ve found the first new chimera. Stiles did say that he’d be using the best of the "human stock" and turning them into our vast, unstoppable chimera army. Congratulations Deputy Strauss!_ “So, about those traffic offenses…”

“Oh, forget them,” He moistened his lips again, “Do you guys need anything else?”

“Will you be at the game tonight?”

“Yeah, the Sheriff actually tripled the detail on the high school.” Strauss wiped his brow and nodded. “So, I’ll be there, if you, I don’t know, need backup or something.”

“Good. I’ll let Stiles know, he’ll be glad to hear that you’re on our side.”

“Sounds like the fun side!” Strauss returned Theo’s grin.

 _Oh, you have no idea, Deputy._

 

Stiles parked and jumped out, Scott on his tail as they walked up to the low building surrounded by neatly trimmed hedges. “Stepping Stones, huh?” He muttered and pressed his hands against the glass to block the glare. “Do you see him?”

“Um…yeah. There!” Scott pointed off to the side at a stiff-looking figure in a dressing gown.

Stiles’ brows rose and he glanced at the logo, before peering past it at the unshaven man. “Oh yeah, that’s him. Let’s go.” The Alpha Chimera pushed the door open and they entered, Scott immediately moving towards the Coach. Stiles frowned again, sensing that something wasn’t right. _He looks catatonic. No, scratch that, he looks crazy._ He thought as he caught sight of the unblinking stare. The werewolf, however, was trying his best gentle voice, gesturing for Stiles move closer.

"Hey Coach, it's Scott and Stiles..."

They sat down gingerly on the couch, but there was no reaction from Finstock. Stiles waved his hands in front of the man’s face, and there still wasn’t any reaction. "Doesn't look like anyone's home." He turned his attention to the game board in front of them.

"Coach?" Scott repeated, trying to catch the man’s vacant gaze.

Stiles reached out to touch one of the chips, grunting in surprise when the Coach's arm shot out and grabbed his wrist.

"Don't you touch it!" The man seemed to come alive. "I've got Nurse Gonzales by the balls in the last three moves! And she knows it."

"Let it go," Stiles whispered. "You're checking out of this place, now!"

"Shhh, no, no, no, not a chance." The man replied, laughing quietly to himself.

"Ok, Coach, we know you're fine." Scott said, but Finstock interrupted him by shushing loudly.

“Shushhhhhhhhh!” He looked at them wildly, "I have a debilitating disease."

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Stiles pressed his lips together, suppressing the sudden flare of anger that rippled through him. _Weak, pathetic, kill him now to end the misery of his existence!_ He could feel Scott shoot him a glance. "Look, we're not asking you to come back full time here, just coach the damn charity game and then you can scurry back and finish your nice little-"

"Stiles!" Scott cut across him warningly, but Finstock didn't seem to notice the Alpha Chimera's tone.

"Charity? Haha, no!" Finstock shook his head, "I hate Charity Games; they're meaningless!"

Stiles met Scott's eye and nodded. "I don't think the charities would agree," The werewolf said.

"What's it for this year?"

"Cancer."

"For or against?"

"Against." Stiles replied firmly. "Coach, deeply against!"

"Well, I'm deeply not interested."

"For fuck's sake, we don't even want to play; we suck!" Stiles burst out, finally prompting a different reaction from the man.

"What?" He looked between them, surprised.

"Yeah, we super-suck, I haven't been at practice since last summer, Scott here can't even find his stick, and our star attacker just came back from a month in the desert _finding herself_." His voice dripped with sarcasm as Scott glared at him, but Stiles pushed on. "Look, Coach, we just need you to forfeit the game and then we can all go home happy."

“Forfeit?”

“Yeah.” Scott replied, still angry with Stiles. “Forfeit.”

But Finstock sighed and finally nodded. "Alright. Tonight, and only tonight."

 

Corey looked up as a scratching sound reached his ears. He poked his head into Stiles’ room as the window was pushed up and Theo dropped inside. The older chimera straightened up, looking puzzled for a moment, before his expression was replaced by the familiar frown. “What are you doing here?”

“Stiles said I could stay with him.” Corey replied defensively, adding. “In his spare bedroom.”

“Well I wasn’t expecting you to sleep on the end of his bed.” Theo grinned evilly, “Though you’d probably like that, wouldn’t you?”

Corey flushed, and looked away. 

“Yeah, I thought so.” The chimera gestured for him to come closer, “Since you’re here, you might as well tell me something.”

“What?”

Theo let his eyes flick over Corey, _Hmm, he is pretty cute._ “If you had the opportunity to kiss him, would you?”

 _Him? Oh, he means Stiles._ Corey frowned at him, “You’re his boyfriend.”

“That’s not an answer.” Theo moved closer, smelling Corey’s fear and hearing his pulse spike. “Say if I wasn’t around, if you thought I’d never know, and Stiles wouldn’t tell. Would you go for it?”

The younger chimera hesitated and then shook his head. “No, it wouldn’t be right.”

“Huh.” Theo studied him for a moment. _He’s telling the truth, or at least he believes he is._ “Good, he trusts you, maybe I should start to do the same thing.”

Corey’s eyes widened and Theo backed off. “Oh, um, ok.”

“Yeah, so, are you still in pain?”

“Uh huh, it’s goes away around him though.” Corey shrugged.

“Interesting.” Theo thought for a moment before nodding, “The Alpha Chimera can make his chimeras do anything, and that includes affecting how they feel, or how feelings are interpreted by their bodies.”

“You know a lot about us, huh?” The chimera sat on the edge of the bed as Theo picked up Stiles’ spare lacrosse stick.

“Yeah, an education courtesy of the Dread Doctors.” Theo grinned and twirled the stick between his fingers. “I know how to create them too: chimeras I mean.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, and the secret to making them a success.” Theo smiled to himself. “No more failures, when we start again, we can do it right.”

“Start again?” Corey frowned. “What do you mean?”

“What I said,” Theo sat beside him, examining the netting at the end of the stick. He glanced at the younger chimera. “If the plan goes right, the Beast ends tonight, but who knows what Scott might do next? He doesn’t like us.”

“Oh, I know.”

“Yeah, I guess you do.” Theo genuinely smiled at him, their shoulders brushing. Corey was frowning at him, not sure what was happening, but Theo continued speaking, “So, we need some more, a few more chimeras, some new pack members, and we’ll be a little safer.”

“And Stiles will be more powerful?”

“Yeah, the larger the pack, the higher we rise.”

“We?” Corey echoed.

“Uh huh, me and you, Corey,” He placed his hand on the chimera’s uninjured shoulder, ignoring the sudden spike in the teen’s pulse. “We’re his seconds; the top two Betas in the pack.”

“I thought you were equals?” He spoke carefully, surprised at Theo’s strong grip.

“Oh, I am, but in pack terms, there can only be one Alpha.” He grinned again and this time Corey smiled back at him. “Come on, Stiles will want to meet us before the game.”

 

“Hey Stilinski!”

Stiles turned as his name was called, frowning for a moment until the Devenford player stepped closer and he recognised the tanned arms and easy grin. _Shit, you._ “Uh, hi, Alex.”

“That’s it?” Alex arched a brow, “Nothing else to say?”

“Well, I wasn’t really expecting to see you here. You said you were transferring.” Stiles shrugged, looking the handsome teenager up and down. “I figured after last time, well I figured it was a one-time thing. I mean, you never called me.” The Alpha Chimera looked behind him as Corey approached. “Hey.”

“Stiles.” The younger chimera glanced at the Devenford bus and the player in front of them. “They’re here.”

“Yeah, this is, err, Alex, an old, um, friend I suppose.”

“I wouldn’t exactly go that far.” He grinned, and flicked his eyes over Corey. “We hooked up last summer.” Corey stared at Stiles and Alex took a breath, looking between them. “Oh, shit, you two aren’t together, are you?”

“I…” Stiles began, but heard Theo answer for him.

“No, they’re not.” Theo slipped his car keys into his pocket and stood aggressively between Stiles and Alex. “Stiles is mine, my boyfriend!”

“Okay, bro,” The teenager grinned and raised his hands, backing off.

“Yeah, Theo and I are together,” Stiles confirmed, meeting his boyfriend’s protective gaze. “Hey, Alex, good luck.”

“You too, Stilinski,” Alex adjusted his grip on his stick and helmet, “As I remember it, you guys suck pretty hard, well you certainly did!”

Stiles felt his cheeks burn as the teenager chuckled and ran back to his team. He glanced at Theo, “That was last summer, I didn’t even know you back then.”

“Yeah.” The chimera’s eyes were fixed on Alex. “Corey, go and get the others.” He waited until the younger chimera had nodded and left before he looked at Stiles. “It doesn’t matter, we have more important things to do.” 

Stiles breathed a sigh of relief and gestured for Theo to follow him. “Yeah, I know, Coach has agreed to cancel the game, not that it really matters, an audience for our ascension would be…”

“Fitting.” Theo finished and pointed. “Over there, it’s out of the way.”

 

The evening was cool, wisps of fog gathering around the lights at the edge of the field. Stiles looked at the faces of his pack and nodded his welcome as Corey led Mason into the circle. “Ok, we’re all here.” The Alpha Chimera paused as Mason met his gaze. He frowned as something instinctual niggled at him. _Smells like…and there’s almost…_ Theo coughed and Stiles looked away. “Right. Corey, you and Mason break into the Devenford bus and search their bags for shoes,” He ordered, his eyes glowing brightly. "We need to exclude them, we have to be certain that the Beast is in Beacon Hills. Hell, it could even be someone we know."

"As you command, Alpha." Corey replied seriously as he bowed his head quickly. He looked up to see Mason's brow rise.

"Scott has entrusted Malia with taking out the TV vans." Stiles turned to Josh and Tracy. "I want you two to shadow her, do not make your presence known, and do not interfere. If she succeeds, then we find the chimera using the shoe impression."

"And if she fails?" Tracy asked quietly.

"Then we confront the Beast, and this ends, one way or another." Stiles smirked, meeting Theo's eyes. "Finstock is meant to forfeit right before the whistle, but the man's competitive, unpredictable. If things go sideways, they'll go sideways there. Hayden?"

"Yes, Alpha?" 

"You and Theo will be in the crowd, both sides, watching, waiting, once the game is forfeit, meet me and we'll join the others."

"As you...command, Alpha." The phrase came from her lips automatically before she frowned, finishing it slowly.

Stiles nodded, looking at his pack. "Very good, ok. Let's do it." He watched them leave until it was only him and Theo on the side of the field. The chimera approached him, smirking. "What?"

"You look really hot in that gear."

"Hah, wait until I have helmet hair!" Stiles laughed.

Theo pulled him closer, looking up in time to see the Devenford lacrosse player from before watching them. He grinned wider and bunched his hands in Stiles' shirt pulling him close, kissing him hard.

Stiles pulled back, slightly puzzled. "You ever seen a lacrosse game?"

"No, never." Theo shook his head, walking with him back towards the rest of the Cyclones. "And I'm not gonna see one tonight, if everything goes according to plan."

"Keep your eyes open, Theo, in a few hours we’ll have the Beast's power!" Stiles replied, pulling his helmet on. He shivered.

"You cold?"

"Excited, nervous." Stiles looked around, "Yeah, a bit cold too."

Theo smiled, his eyes locking onto Stiles'. "Ok, it's time." He knocked Stiles on the helmet affectionately, and took off across to the bleachers on the other side of the field. Stiles watched him go before joining his team, nodding slightly at Scott and Liam.

“We were starting to get worried.”

Stiles frowned at Liam, confused as he smelt the genuine emotion from the younger werewolf. “Uh, just had make sure my pack is in position. Mason and Corey are going to search the Devenford Prep bus, see if they can find anything. But, aside from that, we won’t interfere with your plan, Scott.”

“Thanks.” He replied shortly, and looked around as the team finished warming up. “It’s time, Stiles.”

“I’ll go tell Coach.” Stiles got up, approaching Finstock. _Well, at least he’s out of the dressing gown…_ "Hey Coach, now is, uh, the time to forfeit the game." Stiles stood beside Finstock. "Now's a perfect time to forfeit the game." The man ignored him. "You got...Coach!"

"Stilinski! I've never forfeited a game!" Finstock glanced at Stiles, with a grin that verged on manic. "And I never will! Get on the field!" He blew his whistle as Stiles backed off.

 

Theo watched as the two sides took to the field, frowning. "Looks like Stiles was right about the Coach being unpredictable." He muttered under his breath. The chimera scanned the cheering Cyclones, "Now, where is he? Oh, Number 24...Hmm, I don’t see him." There was shouting, cheering all around him, and Theo kept sweeping the pitch and the opposite bleachers, waiting, wondering when the Beast would strike. Movement near the parked police cruisers at the far end of the home line caught his attention. "Stiles!"

 

"What if we called in a bomb threat?" Stiles asked, glancing towards the field as Scott gestured for him to hurry up. "Dad?"

"Do you remember the bomb threat at the airport a few weeks ago?"

"Yeah, of course I do, it was all over the news."

The Sheriff looked at him pointedly and grimaced. Stiles sighed, "Right. I see your point."

"Go and play, Stiles. I've twenty officers here; we'll get everyone out if things go bad."

“Yeah, right.” Stiles nodded and put his helmet back on, jogging out to join Liam just as the whistle blew and Scott lost the ball to Brett.

 

Corey grunted as he pried the doors to the bus open. "Ok," He called out, "Nearly there..."

"Yeah." Mason looked around nervously, "Let's just try and do it quiet-" He broke off as Corey snapped the door open with a clang. "ly." He finished with a sigh.

Corey looked up at him. "Err, sorry. Let's go?"

"Yeah, yeah, ok." Mason ran up the steps as Corey followed shutting the door behind him as stealthily as possible.

The chimera reached up and grabbed the first bag he saw, unzipping it and pushing aside the clothes until he found the shoes. "Um, no blood."

"Do you see a name on the bag?" Mason asked, his phone in one hand.

"Uh," Corey patted the sides until he found the label. "Here, Martinez, B."

Mason nodded, and Corey looked at him to see his boyfriend strike an X through the profile of the Devenford Prep players. "Huh, good idea." He put the first bag back, and reached up to find another one. “Ok, here’s another…”

 

Stiles looked up as Kira intercepted his pass to Liam and charged down the field shoulder-charging a Devenford player, leaving the teenager sprawling, and then flinging the ball viciously at the goalkeeper and into the net. The crowd were cheering, but Stiles gestured for Scott to join him. They stopped beside the groaning player. "Don’t you think Kira's playing a tad aggressively?"

"Yeah." Scott replied shortly, gesturing at the other downed players.

"Get your girlfriend on a leash, Scott," Stiles laughed, leaning in close enough to the werewolf that their helmets touched. "I know how much you value the secrecy of the supernatural."

Scott backed off and was about to reply when Kira walked by them. Stiles saw the flash in her eye and glanced at the werewolf. “Well?”

"We might have a problem." He admitted. The Alpha Chimera smirked to himself, before going back to help Alex up.

"Thanks." He leaned on his stick as Stiles looked around the field. "She has some strength!"

"Yeah." Stiles replied absently and jogged back to his midfield position, closer to Liam and their goal. They resumed, Scott pushing hard against Brett and scooping up the ball, he turned, seeing two Devenford players approaching him and tossed it backwards towards Stiles, avoiding Kira’s furious shout of “I’m open!” 

Stiles caught the ball, defended against Alex’s lunge, and then tossed it towards Liam, but Kira moved aggressively in front of him and caught it mid-air. "Oh, come on!" Stiles grumbled before wincing as he saw her shoulder two of the larger Devenford Prep players. "Ouch."

The whistle screamed and Kira came to a stop. He watched as Scott approached her, trying to reason with the Kitsune. Stiles looked around, catching sight of Theo, leaning against one of the bleachers. His boyfriend was grinning, obviously enjoying the show. Stiles frowned as he saw Theo's expression rapidly shift to anger.

"Hey Stiles."

 _Alex. Fuck off._ He turned around to see the player approaching him. "Yeah?"

"Time out for our guys, a minute."

"Right." He replied uncertainly.

"So, apart from the Hulk out there, you seem pretty out of shape, uh, practice, I mean." Alex grinned at him, resting his hands on the top of his lacrosse stick.

"I haven't played for a while." Stiles deflected, remembering that Alex had tried a similar move the last time they had met, the first time. "But, um, looks like the captain wants to talk to me."

"Right, I'll..." 

Stiles ignored him and walked away. _Seriously, dude, back the fuck off before Theo goes crazy-wolf mode on your ass, which is super-firm, but…_

 

Theo frowned, seeing their interaction. _What are you up to?_ He balled his hands into fists and tried to control the jealousy that washed over him. Theo glanced to one side as Malia snuck towards the TV vans and he took a deep breath. _Alright, remember, it’s the Beast we’re here for, not some random guy Stiles used to…_ The chimera shook his head, unwilling to continue the line of thought, instead glowering at the Devenford player from the side lines. 

 

Stiles looked at Liam as they prepared for the reset. The Beta nodded at him confidently before looking back at Brett. _Must have expected this..._ He watched as the ball was released, Brett taking it easily from Liam, charging the field and pushing Kira flat on her back. They were too far away for Stiles to hear his taunt, but Kira leapt up and struck Brett a ruthless strike across the head with her stick. His helmet went flying and he was grounded as the referee was over immediately, penalising Kira. Stiles moved up to Scott, muttering, "Impressive. So, I'm not the only pack you've an alliance with, eh, Scott?"

The Alpha glanced at him, but when Kira stormed off the field, Scott followed her. 

“Whatever,” Stiles huffed and returned to his position, ignoring Alex's attempts to strike up a conversation. “Get out of my space, dude.”

 

Theo looked away from the action on the field as he circled around the bleachers, stopping when he spotted the Desert Wolf confronting Malia. He stepped into the shadows, but whatever they were talking about, he couldn’t hear it. The chimera frowned, but his attention was diverted when a flashlight lit him up.

“Oh, sorry Theo.” Strauss lowered the light. “I thought I saw someone skulking around here.”

“Yeah, you’re not the only one on patrol.” Theo laughed it off, noticing the way the Deputy had his hand on his holstered gun. “You’re expecting trouble?”

“Aren’t you?”

“Sure.” Theo looked back at the field as the quarter was called. “You ever play lacrosse?”

“No, it was football in my high school.” The Deputy turned slowly, shining his light into the darkness. “The Sheriff isn’t saying much; it’s making everyone nervous.”

“Well don’t worry, Stiles has a plan,” Theo replied, “You might even get to see the supernatural up close.”

“Cool.” Strauss nodded and grinned. His radio buzzed and he reached up to answer. “Copy that, Sheriff, I’m circling back to you now.” He looked at Theo, “I have to go. Later.”

“See you.” Theo watched him leave and then looked over, seeing Malia still talking to her mother. “Hmm.”

 

"Twenty-five shoes; we've searched them all, and not a single one is a match." Corey said disappointedly as he stuffed the last bag back into the overhead locker at the back of the bus.

“Well maybe we just need…” Mason broke off as gravel crunched outside and the door to the bus began to open. Corey reached out and hugged his boyfriend close, one hand gripping the seat nearest him. 

They blended into the background and Corey held his breath. _Stiles was right, touching another person can make them invisible too!_ He looked up as Alex climbed on board, glancing around before he reached up for his bag. The player hesitated, but Corey knew no one could see him or Mason. After a moment, Alex turned around and left, Corey gave a sigh of relief and let go of his boyfriend. “Phew.”

"Woah! That was awesome! We should go." Mason whispered, turning and getting closer to him.

"Yeah," Corey shrugged and smiled, his eyes meeting Mason's. He could hear the teenager's increased pulse, smell the arousal pouring off him. The chimera grinned wider, eyes focused on his lips and Mason took that as an invitation to kiss him.

Corey kissed back harder, hugging him closer, Mason's hands on his neck, pulling him deeper into the kiss. He let Mason's tongue slip into his mouth, but something caused his stomach to clench tight, and he opened his eyes. There was a wrongness here, a mix of taste and scent and feeling that warned him of danger. _Run, Corey, run!_ His mind whispered to him urgently, and Corey broke off the kiss, pulling back from Mason sharply. The teenager released his grip as though burned. He was confused, but Corey took a few more steps back warily.

"Corey? What is it?"

"Nothing." He shook his head nervously, and then again as Mason stared at him, "Um, I'm ok." The chimera added quickly, too quickly, taking another step back as Mason came closer to him. "I...I have to go."

"Corey, I, I-" Mason started,

"I'm sorry." He said over his shoulder, and hurried out the door, not looking back until he was clear of the bus and under the bleachers. Corey looked around, but there was no sign of Stiles on the team benches. The chimera sniffed and rubbed at his eyes, before seeing Theo return to the edge of the bleachers on the opposite side of the field. "Theo." 

 

Theo nodded slowly, listening as Corey told him about what had happened on the bus. “He was kissing you and something, felt wrong?”

“Yeah, I don’t know how to explain it, it was like this darkness, this evil was right behind him, under his skin.” Corey hesitated, not wanting to ask the obvious question. “Is he…?”

“The Beast?” Theo replied, shrugging. “I don’t know, and neither would Mason. The Beast doesn’t know he’s a teenager during the day, and the teenager doesn’t know he transforms into a monster at night. But if you’re right, then the Beast has been under our noses the entire time.”

“Oh god,” Corey muttered, leaning against the metal supports. “We need to talk to Stiles.”

“They just resumed, not sure if it’s quarters or halves, but we can’t go running on.” Theo sighed, “Where is Mason now?”

“I don’t know, I kinda ran outta there.”

“Ok, stay with me. We stick to the plan.” 

 

Stiles ignored another of Alex’s attempts to flirt with him as they started playing again, his attention divided between the charge from Devenford and the fact that he could see one of the TV vans was still broadcasting. He was shouldered hard and spun on his feet, before falling over. “Fuck.” Stiles muttered and stood up, hearing the crowd cheer as Brett scored again. Liam caught his eye and shook his head dejectedly. Scott ran past him and Stiles glared at the captain’s retreating back. “What the fuck, Scott?”

Liam jogged in front of him, "Kira. Fighting." He managed before returning to the center.

"Of course, she is..." Stiles muttered. "Still, good place for him to be, now that hell is breaking lose. Forgot your job, Malia?" Stiles' attention was pulled from the TV crews as Brett charged their defensive line again.

 

Stiles pulled his helmet off when the referee called a time out, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "Fuck, you're grinding us hard." He muttered as Alex came over to him.

"Yeah, not the only grinding I'm hoping to do tonight!"

"Fucking hell," Stiles shook his head, glancing over to see Theo in deep discussion with Corey. _Hmm._ "Seriously though, Alex, you never called me."

"Oh? I offered you lessons on how to handle your stick!" He grinned suggestively. "They're still valid."

"My boyfriend will break your bones if you don't back off." Stiles replied, walking towards their bench. "Literally."

"Yeah, I got that he's the jealous type."

"You have no idea." Stiles nodded at him. "See you in the next Quarter."

Alex grinned at him and jogged back to the rest of his team as Stiles sunk on to the bench, his knees aching. "Damn." He frowned as more power trickled his way and his senses sharpened. The Alpha Chimera looked to the other end of the bench, seeing Hayden speaking to Liam.

"I'm with you." She said. Stiles frowned, unsure what she was talking about.

"What?" Liam was equally confused.

"I'm with you, all of you."

"Why?"

"Because you're right about Scott, and whatever happens next, I want to be with you." She was smiling at the Beta. “Stiles…I don’t know, but Theo’s crazy, I don’t know what they’re planning, but I’ll survive with you and Scott’s pack.”

Stiles stared at the ground, feeling white hot anger bubbling up. _You’re meant to be seducing him to join my pack, not the other way around…You dare turn your back on the Alpha Chimera?!_ His hands curled into fists, but Stiles resisted the urge to bring her to heel there and then, instead saving his anger, bottling it up. _I will wait, I will wait until you betray us, and then, in that moment, I will utterly destroy you..._ The dark images that dominated his thoughts returned again, and this time beside Scott, beaten and broken, he saw Hayden, bound in chains, ragged, starved, a once-chimera who turned on her Chimera Emperor, caught and made to suffer. _The Chimera Emperor turned away from the prostrated humans, from the prisoners and back to his gilded throne, his rows of perfect chimeras standing behind the dais. And there, surrounding the seat of power are the ones who were too...tempting to discard._ Stiles smirked as he replaced his helmet, the image in his mind of a near-naked Liam chained to his throne like an inverted scene from Jabba the Hutt's palace. When the Beta stopped in front of him, Stiles' grin became bigger. _You will be so perfect..._

"You ready, Stiles?"

"Oh yeah. Let's do this." 

“Great!” The werewolf smiled at him, surprisingly friendly despite their differing packs. Maybe Hayden did manage to say some nice things about him after all.

 

The comeback started from nowhere, although without Kira to steal all their passes, Stiles was able to funnel the ball to Liam more often, and the werewolf evened up the score. Stiles nodded, impressed as Liam dived around the keeper to punt the ball into the net, bringing them dead even with Devenford. Theo was joined by Josh and Tracy now, standing alongside Corey. Stiles could feel their presence, even the one of the traitor, Hayden. His senses were razor sharp, enough to hear the tech on the TV van calling out, "We're back up!" He glanced at the reporter, seeing her pick up her mic.

"Perfect, this thing's a nail biter! Let's roll tape!"

 _Yes! Roll tape, and usher in a new era of glory! Bring forth the Beast!_ The Alpha Chimera looked up as a howl of feedback flooded the pitch from the speakers, the transmission trucks all blowing out. The players stopped, looking over at them, confused. The feedback reached to a loud whine and Stiles grimaced as those without helmets covered their ears. As the whine faded into a loud growl, he pulled off his gloves, dumping the rest of his lacrosse equipment onto the field, running towards the source of the growling, his pack re-positioning alongside him.

Liam was a blur, running past him, towards the school buses. “Liam!” The Alpha Chimera called out, “Stop!” But the Beta ignored him and leapt upwards in time to swatted down by the Beast as it jumped the bus and crashed down onto the field, snarling loudly. It started to move in the direction of the school as people were running everywhere, screaming, shouting in panic. Stiles looked up as the Sheriff’s deputies tried to bring order to the chaos, but were ignored. The Beast snorted and turned its head towards him, Stiles stopped moving and stared the Beast down, his eyes burning purple.

“Get these people out of here, Strauss!” The Sheriff was a few feet away and Stiles could see his father turning towards him from the corner of his eye. “I need the god damn-” The man had broken off mid-sentence, but Stiles couldn’t worry about what his father was seeing. The Beast circled around him slowly, and the Alpha Chimera turned carefully to keep the monstrous werewolf in sight.

Theo approached the Alpha Chimera, the rest of the pack trailing behind him, their eyes all mirrors of Stiles’. He flicked out his claws, allowing the second set to slide out, electric blue and primed to steal the Beast's power.

"Stop!" Stiles called out, as the Beast slowed, casually looking at him. "You will obey me. Stand still and be Awakened!" The Beast snorted and turned to look at the school. "Hey!" Stiles caught its attention again, "You can serve me as a chimera like the rest of my pack, and share in the glory of our ascension. Or you can die here, tonight, after my chimera," He pointed at Theo, "sucks the power from you. Your choice, Beast."

The lipless maw opened and a dry, rasping sound, like sandpaper on metal came out.

"I think he's laughing." Theo growled. "He's saying no."

"I don't accept disobedience from my chimeras!" Stiles thrust his hand outwards, touching the monster’s broad chest in an attempt to connect to the Beast, link their minds, control him, Awaken him one final time. He frowned, a threadbare connexion forming, but there was so little of the original chimera left it was difficult not to drown in the ocean of darkness that was the creature’s mind. The Alpha Chimera blinked, the same vision swimming before his mind, except this time there was no glorious throne or fearful crowd. Instead the room was awash in blood, in broken and bloodied corpses, the shattered remains of Corey on one side, the limbless torso of Tracy coughing blood as she died a sudden death. _The Chimera Emperor looked up as a shadow fell across him, the hulking Beast stomping over to him, two halves of a body held in each hand. Theo. The Chimera Emperor cackled, high, cruel, mad…_

Stiles blinked and pulled back, the Beast laughed at him again. “Very well. Theo! Take him!” The Alpha Chimera stood back as Theo ran forward, leaping up as he gained momentum and attempting to slash his talons into the Beast’s face. Theo grunted as the large clawed hand smashed into his chest, battering him backwards with enough force that he collided with Stiles and they both hit the ground hard enough to drive the breath from their lungs.

The Beast snorted and turned to chase the stragglers into the school. 

Stiles pushed a groaning Theo off him and looked up as his Dad hovered over him, stammering, surprised; "You're, you're…"

"Yes, Dad, I'm a chimera." Stiles accepted Josh's hand up. He looked at the Sheriff, "I'm the goddamn Alpha Chimera."


	18. The Alpha Chimera's Power

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Super-Dark!Stiles coming up in the first half of this chapter. Torture, betrayal, blood, it’s a rough one!

Stiles waited for his Dad to respond, but the Sheriff simply stood there, shaking his head as though he wasn’t able to process what he had just seen. The Alpha Chimera narrowed his eyes, before turning away to follow the ripped turf that the Beast had left behind: a trail. The sound of screaming reached his enhanced hearing. “It’s at the school. We need to pursue it.”

“Stiles?” Corey approached him, voice low and urgent. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

“Can it wait?”

“No. I know who the Beast is.”

“Oh?” Stiles arched a brow, glancing up as Hayden released a muffled sob, kneeling next to her bleeding boyfriend. “Who?”

“It’s…it’s Mason.” Corey said, after a moment’s pause. “I don’t have any real proof, like the shoe, but I felt it; the darkness, the evil behind his eyes. But it’s not really him, it’s…uh.”

“The Beast only comes out at night.” Stiles muttered under his breath, remembering what Theo had told him a few weeks ago. “The rest of the time it’s a teenager. Until now.”

“What changed?”

“Two failed attempts to Awaken it.” Theo offered as he joined them, wiping a streak of blood from his cheek, the wound already healed. “Is there even a chimera left?”

“No, not really.” Stiles grimaced and turned, looking at Hayden. “What is it? I can feel your distress.”

“Distress?” She looked up at him suddenly, tears streaming down her face. “Liam is dying!”

“Hmm.” Stiles nodded at Theo and Corey and walked over to where the werewolf had fallen, his chest deeply slashed. Blood had pooled around him, but Stiles could still hear his pulse; weak, faint, badly wounded. Glancing back, he could see his father staring at the ground, fingers tapping slowly on his holstered gun. Siles knew that gesture, knew he had limited time before the Sheriff would start asking questions. “Ok. Josh, give Hayden a hand. Get Liam inside, the Beast is going to prompt a serious response and Scott wouldn’t want the supernatural to be revealed.” His lips twisted slightly, and gestured for the chimeras to obey him. 

Both chimeras bowed, echoing each other in unison, "As you command, Alpha."

Hayden’s face contorted after speaking, as if horrified by her own words, while Josh just frowned in confusion. The Alpha Chimera dismissed them with a wave, turning back as his father finally spoke.

"Stiles, what-"

“They serve me, my chimeras.” He replied emotionlessly, “Isn’t that right, Theo?”

“Anything for you, Stiles.” 

“Corey?”

“As you command, my Alpha.”

Stiles grinned, showing his fangs, and spread his arms out. “And this is just the beginning. Five chimeras and I’m powerful, with the Beast under my control…this world has been too long without an Emperor, I think.” He laughed at his father’s face.

“Stiles, that’s…”

“Crazy?” The Alpha Chimera asked, tone dangerous. “I suppose it is. But what else do you do with power like this?”

Theo looked between them, pulse spiking. _So this is it, the one confrontation I’ve been more worried about than Stiles and Scott. He’s risked everything before for his father, put him ahead of all our plans. But now?_ Theo looked over to Stiles as he felt an invisible hand slowly turn his head; the Alpha’s power. “What?”

“My father doesn’t seem to understand, Theo, he doesn’t share my, our, vision.” Stiles circled the Sheriff, purple eyes glinting in the darkness. “That’s a pity.”

“Stiles?” Corey broke in hesitantly, “Stiles, the Beast…It’s at the school.”

“I know.” The Alpha Chimera nodded, his mind clearing as Hayden and Josh got further away from him. His eyes flicked up to meet his Dad’s. “You should call your officers back; Sheriff, the Beast will rip through them like tissue paper. They might slow him down a bit, but how many are you willing to lose? This time.”

The Sheriff raised a hand to his radio, before frowning and looking at his son. “What about the students? The players?”

"Irrelevant." Stiles dismissed them with a shrug. “The smart ones will get out, the others, well, the Beast will get to bathe his claws in innocent blood one last time.” He was looking at his own clawed fingers, ignoring the sudden spike in his Dad’s heart-beat.

"Stiles..." The Sheriff shook his head. “This can’t be you, this is-”

“This is me. The real me, the one who doesn’t hide. Or want to. Scott never used his powers, he just _survives_!” Stiles spread his hands again, “I want something greater, to be something greater, and you can stand in the shadow of my empire, or you can stand in my way. Donovan stood in my way, and the orderly at Eichen House, and a dozen others whose names are so inconsequential I don’t even remember their deaths. Your choice.” 

His father considered him for nearly a minute, Stiles tilting his head this way and that, before the Sheriff shook his head slowly. “I didn’t give up on you when you were possessed by a dark fox, Stiles, I’m not-”

“You don’t get it!” Stiles cut him off. “This is me! I’m the Alpha Chimera! The most powerful of them all! Everything I’ve done is _me_ , because I wanted to! But you’re not listening.” He sighed and gestured for his chimera pack to follow him, the anger draining away.

Theo froze when he heard the characteristic sound of a gun being pulled out of the holster. “Stiles?”

“I heard it.” The Alpha Chimera turned slowly, his expression making Theo’s stomach clench tightly. Not fear, but not the usual eager excitement from fully powered Alpha Stiles either, this was something different, something worse. “Are you going to shoot me?” He called out mockingly. 

Theo caught Corey’s panicked glance, but shook his head carefully. _Stiles has to do this._

Stiles walked back toward his father, seeing the man’s hand shake slightly, his expression shifting between determination and regret. “You don’t want to do this. And I never wanted to force this fight. But I will find the Beast, and Theo will take its power, and everything I’ve said will happen.”

“I have to protect the people of this town, Stiles. They’re not just victims!” The Sheriff flicked off the safety. “Stand down, or I will put you down!”

 _No, you’re not going to be able to!_ Stiles thought ruthlessly and glanced at Tracy, making sure she was mirroring him. _Now! Strike now! Not too deep._

Tracy gave out a sudden screech as she rushed forward suddenly, Kanima claws slick with venom. The Sheriff blinked and tried to react in time, but the chimera flicked her claws across his bare forearm, drawing blood. The Sheriff managed a strangled yell before slumping over. “Argh!”

“Dad!” Stiles cried out, feigning shock. “Shit!”

Theo frowned at him. _Heart-beat steady, no increase in pulse, he smells as calm as anything…he knew she would do this. He told her to?_

“What did you do that for?” The Alpha Chimera demanded. _Excellent work, my chimera._

“He was slowing us down, we need to find the Beast!” Tracy replied with a shrug, pointed at the school as Josh came running. 

“I’m…I’m sorry, but she’s right, I need to find the Beast. One of your officers will find you, eventually.” Stiles made it look like he was leaving reluctantly. The Sheriff glared at him as he walked away.

 

“What is it, Josh?” Stiles returned to his cold tone after moving out of his father’s earshot.

“Liam isn’t healing. Hayden wants help.”

“Does she?” Stiles whispered quietly, before grinning darkly as an idea came to him. “Yes, I will come. Theo!”

“Yes, Alpha?”

"Take Tracy and Corey, follow the Beast, try and get a visual on it, I'll join you once I've seen how bad Liam is."

"As you command, Alpha." Theo nodded his agreement and Stiles walked away with Josh.

Corey watched Stiles leave with a mix of fear and relief, but as they begun to move towards the school, he glanced at the older chimera beside him. “Theo?”

“What is it?”

“Did Stiles want his Dad to be attacked?”

“You heard it too then?”

“What?” Corey asked, confused. 

“His pulse, his heart-beat. Steady, calm, in control.” Theo replied, a touch of pride in his voice.

“Yeah, I just…I don’t understand.”

“I don’t think the Sheriff was going to shoot him, but Stiles couldn’t take the chance that his father wouldn’t understand. This was the easiest and cleanest solution.” The chimera smiled at him. “Besides, his father is only paralysed; the Kanima venom will give us time to stop the…to stop Mason.”

“Right.” Corey nodded slowly, chewing his lip. They were almost at the doors where the Beast had burst in. “Theo?”

“Yes, Corey?” He pointed ahead and Tracy nodded, moving forward to look into the hallway. “C’mon, tell me.”

“The Beast is important, and I know we have to stop him from hurting people, so why is Stiles wasting time with Hayden and Liam?”

“Ah.” _Probably because he still has a thing for Liam? Hmm._ Theo shrugged and replied, “The Alpha Chimera has a plan, Corey, trust him. Trust in the Chimera Emperor’s judgement.”

“Um…”

Theo smirked at him and laughed, but didn’t say anything, instead moving towards Tracy.

 _The Chimera Emperor? Wait, was Stiles serious back there?_ Corey blinked and hurried after Theo.

 

Stiles followed Josh inside to the Biology lab, where Liam was lying on the teacher’s desk, Hayden lingering around him, staring at her bloodied hands. She looked up when he entered, and then glared at Josh. “I said to go find help!”

“Oh, don’t be angry with Josh, Hayden, he’s just doing what a good, loyal chimera will do, isn’t that right?”

“Yes, Alpha.”

Stiles grinned and moved closer, grimacing as his enhanced sight revealed Liam’s torn chest. “He’s not healing, is he?”

“No, yes, I don’t know.”

Josh gagged as Stiles reached in and pulled back the shreds of clothing that remained on the werewolf’s chest. “Hmm. He’s a strong werewolf too.”

Liam groaned, writhing on the desk, unable to speak.

"It must be too much," Josh said, glancing at Stiles. "Like what happened to Corey last week. You can take his pain." He added to Hayden. “I mean, I could try, but-”

"It’s ok, I underst..." She trailed off, hand outstretched, immobilised. "Stiles, I..." the words were slow, the chimera fighting to speak. Her eyes flicked up to meet the Alpha Chimera's purple gaze.

"No." He smiled cruelly. “Did you think I wouldn’t notice your absence? Or maybe that I wouldn’t care? Or perhaps you thought that could fool me, waiting for the perfect moment to strike and take me out? Offer my head to Scott so you can be with your little werewolf lover?”

Hayden tried to speak, but even though her lips moved, no sound came out.

“Right. You’d have to be able to speak first, to move, and then you could heal him.” The Alpha Chimera shook his head slowly. “I know that we have never seen eye to eye, Hayden, and it was Theo who brought you back. I understand why, of course. At that time, I was still…hmm, weak, I suppose.” Stiles smirked and moved around to Liam’s head, looking down at his blood-flecked face, scrunched up in pain. “I still needed to believe that I was held back by Scott’s rules. And that’s what you want, is it? To be contained?”

“No.” Hayden was finally able to speak as Stiles released his control partially. “I want him, Liam, I want us to live, you’re going to get us all killed, Stiles!”

“If that’s what it takes.” He dismissed her concerns with a wave of his hands. “Liam doesn’t have long, not if he doesn’t start to heal.”

“Then let me, please, I know you…care about him.” 

Stiles smirked, “Hurt you to say that, did it? Very well, you can heal him.” _If you’re willing to suffer for it, how much pain will you take when you can feel everything?_ The Alpha Chimera’s eyes flared in the darkened classroom and Hayden shrunk back.

“What are you…argh!” She cowered down, covering her eyes as though blinded.

“You wanted to take his pain, you were willing to feel it, I’ve done the opposite of what I’ve been doing for Corey since Parrish set him on fire; around me his nerves are turned off, no pain, but now you will feel everything! The cool surface of the table, the hardness of the wood, and sweet, glorious, intensity of his injuries. Well?” Stiles gestured at Liam, the werewolf was staring at her, his eyes begging for help.

Hayden slowly approached him, her fingers trailing over the wood, eyes shutting as though the stimulation was already too much. She lifted her hand and pressed a finger onto Liam’s before pulling back with a sharp cry of pain. “I…I can’t!” Hayden glared at Stiles, looking defeated. She turned suddenly, claws out and made to swing at Stiles, before finding herself immobilised again.

The Alpha Chimera growled, and punched out with his left hand, wreathed in lightning. Hayden went tumbling backwards. “You dare? I am the Alpha Chimera! You belong to me! And you will do what I say.” His eyes flared a darker shade of purple and Hayden jerked upright. Josh watched in horrified silence as Stiles forced the chimera to walk over to Liam and take his hand. She began to scream in agony as the werewolf’s pain flowed into her through blackened veins, tears rolling down her face. Stiles watched remorselessly as Hayden began to shake and Liam passed out. She released his hand, staggered a few steps and then collapsed. The Alpha Chimera examined the werewolf and nodded, satisfied. “Good. He has begun to heal. I have a future in mind for you, Liam.” Stiles patted his cheek gently and gestured for Josh to follow him. “Leave her, Hayden has chosen her path.”

“She tried to attack you.” He pointed out.

“Tried, yes, you saw how well that went.” Stiles exited the classroom, closing the door behind him. “There will be time to deal with her betrayal later, we have a Beast to catch.”

 

“Over here!” Tracy called out, as Corey and Theo hurried to join her. “See? Claw marks.”

“Big claws.” Corey replied, looking around nervously. “Is he nearby?”

“I’m not-” Theo was cut off as Scott came tumbling down the stairs, smashing into a trophy case, glass shattering around him. The Beast gave an almost mocking snarl and ran up the stairs to the upper floor. Theo glanced at the two chimeras beside him. “Be ready.” His claws flicked out again, the second set of talons sliding over his werewolf ones. “Scott? You ok?”

“I’m fine.” The Alpha replied curtly, standing up and shaking the glass off.

“You’re bleeding.” Corey observed standing just behind Theo’s shoulder, ready to vanish as soon as the werewolf attacked them.

Scott reached a hand up, looking at the dark red blood on his fingers. “It’s nothing, I’ll heal.”

“You’re not seriously considering taking him on by yourself, are you?” Theo smirked, “You’ll be ground to a pulp, or ripped in half, or he might even eat you.” The werewolf’s gaze was fixed on his electric blue claws. “Oh? You remember these, right, Scott? You know what they’re for?”

“Stealing power.”

“Exactly.” Theo grinned widely. “The Alpha Chimera’s plan is finally coming to fruition.”

“The Alpha…Stiles? This is his plan? Steal power from the Beast, to do what?”

“Well, let’s just say that ‘Alpha Chimera’ will only be one of his titles when we’re done.” Theo glanced at Corey, seeing the younger chimera nod eagerly. Scott was staring at him like he was mad. “But, my point is that Stiles is going to defeat the Beast, save the chimera inside it, of course, and you really don’t have a hope without us, Scott.”

“I’ll take my chances!” The werewolf growled and sprinted past them, up the stairs, after the Beast.

“Huh. Tracy? Go and look ahead, try and find the Beast.” She nodded and Theo turned to see Stiles and Josh approaching from the other corridor. “And, here he is. Stiles.”

“Theo, Corey.” The Alpha Chimera took a deep breath, as though savouring their presence. “Scott was here? That’s his blood, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, he went after the Beast.” Corey replied, pointing at the stairs. “Where are Hayden and Liam?”

“Liam is healing, he won’t be joining Scott. And Hayden? Well, she won’t be joining us, if she values her life.”

Theo raised a brow. “What happened?”

“Treachery.” Stiles replied shortly, “Now, the Beast is upstairs?”

“No,” Tracy returned from scouting the hallway ahead, “The ceiling is smashed down by the entrance to the pool, there’s a lot of people huddled around the lockers that way too.”

“Ok, let’s go.” Stiles took the lead, Theo by his side as the other chimeras followed them. “Sheath your claws, Theo, no point pricking any humans.”

“Yes, Alpha.” Theo replied quietly, and they pushed through a throng of panicked students. 

They were milling around, listening to screams and bangs, no one knew what was going on, Stiles could smell their fear like a fetid swamp around him and he grimaced. _Weak, none from this flock are worthy of becoming chimeras._ He looked up as Malia pushed through and the Alpha Chimera stopped.

She stared at Theo for a minute, and then glanced at him. “Stiles?”

“Malia.”

“The Beast is running.”

“I’ve noticed.” He looked up as a nearby roar shook the building and the students began to run away again. “Scott is being his usual heroic self and taking it on by himself. He will die without help.”

“You don’t sound worried.”

Stiles shrugged, and let his eyes return to their purple shade. “What can I say? If he wants the Beast to cut him apart, then who am I to stop him?”

“You don’t think he can win?”

“No. Not without a pack.” The Alpha Chimera looked at his chimeras. “Which is why I will succeed. If you value Scott, you tell him to leave the Beast to us.” He made to push past her, but Malia’s arm shot out and grabbed him. Theo snarled at her immediately and she released him. 

“Sorry.” Malia backed away carefully, “I was just going to say, be careful.”

“Funny, so was I.” Theo muttered, following Stiles towards the loud noises. He tilted his head when he heard her voice again, this time talking to Braeden.

“…I'm at the school, and we need you. Bring your shotgun, bring all your shotguns!”

 

Stiles began to run as he heard the crash of masonry and shattering glass from around the next bend. He skidded to a halt as the Beast smashed through a classroom into the hallway, and reached out a clawed hand to rip another door off. Stiles blinked in surprise when Scott was pulled out, the werewolf tumbling over himself to slide to a stop at Stiles’ feet. He was badly cut, the side of his face and neck covered in fresh blood, lacrosse kit torn. Stiles frowned, surprised at Scott's expression, at the fear that hung in the air between them; the werewolf's fear. Scott looked at him strangely, as though he had finally understood what had happened to his best friend.

Theo looked down at the wounded and bleeding werewolf, feeling his mouth water. _Damn, if he wasn’t the enemy right now, I’d be all over him, all that blood, so hot, mmmh._ He was unconsciously licking his lips when he felt Stiles staring at him. “Sorry.”

“Concentrate, there’ll be time for fun later.” The Alpha Chimera turned his attention back to the Beast, his claws flicking out, electricity arcing out from his body. Stiles roared and charged forward, the rest of his chimeras following him. The first punch caught the Beast off guard, the Alpha Chimera launched into the air and smashed into his jaw. Stiles turned quickly and together he and Josh pressed their hands against the creature’s flanks, electricity rushing down their arms and rippling across the Beast’s body. It roared loudly and twisted savagely, throwing Josh backwards. Stiles felt Corey grab his hand and they vanished, both ducking the Beast’s retaliation swing, its clenched fist gouging a deep furrow in the wall. Stiles released Corey’s hand and joined Tracy and Theo, their claws tearing across the Beast’s stomach. 

“Hell yeah!” Theo shouted in triumph, his claws emitting a loud humming as the talons ripped through the Beast’s flesh. He shook his head as his eyes went dark, unable to see anything, save for a blindingly bright blue orb just out of reach. But, before he could stretch out and grab it, his sight returned and the Beast grabbed him with one clawed hand, his talons torn from the creature’s chest, and he was thrown across the hallway, sliding to a halt near Scott.

Stiles spat out a mouthful of blood as the Beast backed away slowly, looking between them. _Is that fear? Finally realised who you’re dealing with?_ He heard a low moan from behind him, and Stiles turned to see Corey struggling to get up. The chimera had been thrown into a wall of lockers. The Alpha Chimera glanced back at the Beast, but it had taken the opportunity to run while he was distracted. “Damn.” Stiles knelt down and inspected a pool of dark, brackish liquid. “Blood, maybe? The Beast is wounded.” 

There was another crash of glass and the sound of screaming.

“The library!” Scott panted, clutching his side as he approached Stiles. “Most of the students and visitors are hiding there. I saw them go in.”

“Hmm.” Stiles turned away from him and walked over to help Corey up. He pulled the chimera to one side, lowering his voice, so only Corey could hear him. “I need you to do something for me.”

“Anything, Alpha.”

“Good,” Stiles smiled at him. “Your loyalty gives me strength. We’re going after the Beast again, I won’t lie to you, Corey, I’m not sure if we can get Mason out of this in one piece. But I will try, if he submits to me as a chimera, we have a chance. If not…”

“I understand.” The chimera nodded solemnly. “What are your orders, Alpha?”

“If the Beast is beating us, or if it runs away, I need you to be there when it turns back to Mason. I need you to observe it, follow it, and grab him. Bring him somewhere safe, you decide, and I will find you.” Stiles placed a hand on his shoulder and held Corey’s gaze. “Do you understand what I’m asking you to do? It will be dangerous.”

“Yeah, I got it.”

“Good. Tell no one, if we’re successful in the library-”

“I can do it, Stiles.” He broke in, nodding eagerly. “I know a place, a safe place.”

The Alpha Chimera squeezed his shoulder and turned back to face the others. Theo was frowning at him, but Stiles ignored his boyfriend’s gaze. _Later, Theo, if I have to._ “Let’s go.”

“Wait,” Scott came closer to him. “Stiles? The Beast probably would have finished me off there.”

“Perhaps.”

Scott moistened his lips and looked at Stiles’ glowing purple eyes. “Thanks.”

The Alpha Chimera nodded wordlessly and wiped blood from a gash on the side of his face, and gestured for Theo and his pack to follow him.

 

The library doors were shattered, and there was a very large, Beast-sized hole in the surrounding wall. Theo glanced between Stiles and Corey as they approached the entrance. _So, what was that about? Secret agreement? He’ll tell me later, I’m sure. And I was close. The power is at my fingertips!_

Stiles held up a hand as they saw the Beast standing at the far end of the library, by the window, throwing book carts at the shelves and the cowering students on the upper level. He closed his eyes, letting his other senses attune better. There was something else. _Ah, Hayden is awake again, moving this way, Liam too, not quite there yet, they’re slow. But I have a full pack again. Full power._ His eyes flicked open and Stiles turned to face his chimeras, hands raised before him. “Let’s end this! Prepare to witness the true power of the Alpha Chimera!” He clenched his hands into fists, seeing the eyes of his pack all flare purple simultaneously along with his own. Power rushed through him, claws growing longer from his nails, torrents of electricity running in waves across his body, Kanima venom dripping steadily onto the floor. The Alpha Chimera turned, his form flickering between visible and invisible and roared his challenge at the Beast.

Theo grinned at the rush that engulfed him; strength filling his limbs and energising his mind, making it sharper, the rest of the pack feeling like moving parts of the same machine. He glanced at Corey, seeing the wonder in the younger chimera’s eyes, and feeling an echo of it in his own thoughts; they were completely inter-connected at this moment. Then he heard Stiles’ roar, as loud and terrifying as a werewolf’s with an extra edge of confidence, as though the Alpha Chimera _expected_ dominion over the creature. Theo growled his support and joined the rest of the pack in running forward as the Beast charged down the steps towards Stiles.

 

The Alpha Chimera dodged the Beast’s swings and rolled under the deadly claws, joining Josh and Corey to deliver a savage combined punch to the creature’s left knee. The bone cracked and the Beast roared loudly, whirling around to slash wildly at them. Corey and Stiles both ducked the attack, Josh was slower and was flung forward into a pillar. The Alpha Chimera snarled his displeasure as a portion of his power vanished. He moved away from Corey and ran over to Theo, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I’m waiting for an opening.” 

The Beast had dragged itself back towards the library entrance, its knee popping audibly. “It’s healed already,” Stiles muttered, “You need to get close. Let’s go!” _All of you, attack!_ The Alpha Chimera was joined by Tracy and together they leaped forward, their venomous claws raking the Beast’s face. She cried out in pain as the creature’s fist battered into her, swinging wildly, and Tracy fell to the ground with a shriek of pain. Corey ran in again and pulled Stiles back as the Beast looked around for him.

Theo rushed forward to thrust his talons deep into the still healing wound across the creature’s stomach. Just as he was about to get in range, the Beast roared loud enough to shake the books from the shelves. He pushed his hands against his ears, eyes shut, not seeing the Beast’s punch until it was too late. The air was knocked from his lungs and Theo crashed into the floor. “ARGH!” He yelled out as the Beast stomped on his leg, the bones shattering.

“Theo!” Stiles cried out from across the room. He turned his fury on the Beast, unleashing the stream of electricity he had taken from Josh. The monstrous werewolf staggered backward under the assault. The Alpha Chimera walked forward slowly, his claws morphing between werewolf and Kanima, and lashed out savagely, ripping a long gash down the Beast's thigh. The creature howled in pain and dropped to one knee, eyes level with him.

“Surrender, give in! Serve me and I will spare your life.” Stiles demanded, ignoring the fact that blood was running from a dozen cuts, or that his chimeras had been picked off one at a time. “You will serve me.”

"Never." The voice was low, guttural, as if unused. The Beast growled at him and struck without warning, hammering into Stiles’ chest, throwing him backwards through a bookcase, colliding with the wall hard enough to knock him out. 

“Stiles!” Theo called out, his voice weak. The Alpha Chimera’s power had cut out suddenly, and looking around the destroyed library, all he could see were the yellow eyes of the other chimeras. Theo gasped, his leg feeling like a bag of blood, shards of bone sticking up through his jeans. “Fuck. I’m coming, Stiles, hang on.” He groaned and began to crawl over to Stiles, his leg dragging uselessly behind him. The Beast was standing over his boyfriend, hand raised as it prepared to deliver the final blow. _No! It can’t end like this!_ Theo gritted his teeth as he tried to move faster.

“Stiles!” Scott’s voice cut across the room and Theo looked up in time to see the werewolf tackle the Beast, pushing it away from the Alpha Chimera. The Beast’s attention was diverted as Scott pulled it back into the center of the room. 

“Corey? Corey, are you there?” Theo called out, closer to Stiles, but his leg still badly broken. “Damn it! Tracy? Good. Get Stiles. No, leave me.” He pushed away her hands and pointed at his boyfriend. Theo growled with pain as he pulled himself upright, using a shattered part of the bookshelf as a make-shift crutch. Tracy put one arm around Stiles and Theo took the other, gasping as his leg threatened to give out.

“Are you sure you can manage?”

“Yeah.” He grunted, looking around the room. “Josh and Corey are gone, and Scott is getting his ass handed to him back there. Let’s just go.” They started to move as Scott was flung to the ground, fresh blood pouring down his face. Theo glanced up when Liam ran in from the side-door, leaping off a table and delivering a vicious punch to the Beast's head. Braeden followed up his attack by unloading her shotgun into its chest and shoulder, pieces of shadow and blackened flesh chipping off.

Stiles groaned as his vision swam and his chest was tight, _Can’t breathe, mouth wet,_ He coughed and blood dribbled down his chin. Theo and Tracy were dragging him slowly out the library door. _Josh and Corey must have already gone. Good, find me Mason, Corey._

“He’s waking up!” Tracy called out.

“Pull back,” Stiles managed weakly as crashing glass behind them heralded the Beast’s escape. He looked to one side, seeing Hayden standing across from Liam, hanging back from the fighting. The Alpha Chimera glared at her, _You will have your reward one day, traitor._ Stiles grunted as fresh torment erupted all over his body and more blood spilled down his chin. “Go…”

 

Theo walked a little faster as his bones began to knit back together, but he was still gasping in pain. He glanced at his boyfriend, brows furrowed as Stiles drifted in and out of consciousness. The Alpha Chimera’s wounds were bad, and he didn’t heal like the rest of them. Theo came to a stop as his leg started to shake. “I can’t, I need-”

“We have to get out of here, Theo!” Tracy looked over her shoulder, “If Scott-”

“I know.” He replied curtly. “I know…Wait, that’s…Deputy Strauss!” Theo looked up as the officer rounded the corner, carrying a first aid kit. He stopped and stared at them.

“I’d ask if you guys were ok, but-”

“We need to leave, get out of here. Stiles is badly wounded.” Theo cut across him, gesturing feebly. “Please.”

“Stiles?” Strauss repeated, “The Sheriff has everyone looking for him, uh, you, to bring you in.”

“Does he?” Stiles managed, looking at the Deputy, “Help me, Strauss, please.”

“I…uh, here, Theo, I’ll support him.” He dropped the first aid kit and Theo nodded his thanks. “What happened?”

“The Beast happened. There’s…it’s a long story, get us out of here, and we’ll tell you everything.” Stiles replied, looking over to where Theo was staring at his blood-slick hands. “As you can see, things are not going well.” His words were slow and sluggish, the hallway swimming before his eyes.

“He’s lost a lot of blood already, Strauss.” Theo looked at the Deputy. 

“Yeah, ok, I have the cruiser outside. This way!” He led them towards one of the side entrances. “The Sheriff has declared a full emergency, the hospital, every officer he has, there’s even talk of the Mayor asking the Governor to call in the National Guard.”

“That’s a bit extreme.”

“Yeah, but they’re being told there’s a monster in the forest that’s trying to kill all the children in Beacon Hills!”

“That’ll do it.”

“Right? Besides, how many have died already? A hundred?”

“The Beast is only getting started.” Stiles muttered as they moved slowly down the steps.

“He’s needs the ER.” Strauss said as Tracy helped Stiles inside, but Theo shook his head, throwing his crutch to one side.

“No, I will tell you where to go, I can fix him, if necessary, I can save him.”

“But you’re just a teenager!”

“I’ve spent years observing the most complicated medical and experimental procedures on humans and non-human supernatural creatures, trust me, I’m better than a doctor!” Theo replied and gestured for Strauss to get into the cruiser. The Deputy nodded and flicked the sirens on, flooring the gas as he sped out of the school, passing the long line of incoming emergency vehicles.

 

Corey looked up as a police cruiser rushed past him, _Hmm, I hope Stiles is alright. Leaving like that was hard, and then the connection, the power…It was like it just severed, like it was ripped away. What was that about? He’s not…No, I can’t believe that._ The chimera glanced to one side as Scott and Liam ran past him.

“I’m telling you, I have the Beast’s scent!” Scott said, as Liam followed him.

“Scott, you’re wounded, you need to slow down. Oh.” The Beta looked at Scott as they stopped outside Mason’s car. “No. No, no, c’mon, Scott! Really?”

Corey frowned, _Hmm, this could be a problem._ He watched as Scott forced the trunk open and heard their gasps. _So, the shoe is there, damn, I was kinda hoping I was wrong…_ He chewed his lip nervously when Mason appeared and walked between the two cars, his boyfriend didn’t look injured, even though Corey had seen all the damage Stiles and the pack had inflicted on the Beast.

"Scott? What are you doing in my car?" 

"It's you." Scott said slowly, but Mason just looked confused.

"What?" He glanced at the other werewolf, "Liam, what's he talking about?"

Corey frowned when the Beta didn't answer, shaking his head. Mason moved forward, "Liam?"

 _Ok, ok, Stiles said to take him, so I gotta._ Corey emerged behind Mason and grabbed him quickly, before Scott or Liam could react, and cloaked them both.

"Corey!" Scott called out, pointing at him. "Wait!"

The chimera pulled Mason backwards, disappearing into the night, remembering how he and Stiles fought the Beast earlier, staying invisible while moving.

"Corey, wait!" Scott yelled after him again, leaping forward, stumbling over his feet, but the chimera was gone, one hand gripping Mason tight, the other pressed firmly across his mouth to stop his boyfriend from crying out.

 

Stiles nodded his thanks as Tracy and Strauss helped him onto one of the Doctors’ operating tables, the metal slab cold to the touch. He remained sitting upright as the Deputy went back to help Theo down the stairs to the lab, Tracy flittering around him. “Relax, I’ll be fine.” He tried to wipe the dry blood from his face and neck, but his hands were shaking too much. “Get Theo in here, and patch me the hell up!”

“As you command, Alpha.”

Tracy and Strauss returned a moment later, Theo between them. “I need to check in, let the Station know I’m not available.” The Deputy looked up, “There’s a lot of concrete between me and the surface. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

Stiles nodded and gestured towards the door. “Take your time.”

“Hey, you look…better.” Theo was staring at him suspiciously. “How do you feel?”

“Not great, Theo. Pretty angry for a start. We almost had the damn Beast!” Stiles growled, ignoring the pain in his ribs. His phone vibrated in his pocket and Stiles pulled it out, “Scott.”

“Are you going to answer it?”

“Reception sucks down here. Let me borrow your ears.” Stiles took a deep breath and looked up as Theo and Tracy’s eyes flicked from yellow to purple, dimmer than before. “Better, ok. Hey Scott.”

“Stiles? I can barely hear you.”

“I’m underground, had to get away. Did you get the Beast?” He glanced at Theo and shook his head. “I see. So, it jumped out the window?”

“And then your chimera, Corey, stole him!”

“Stole him?” Stiles echoed slowly. “I don’t understand.”

“Corey grabbed Mason, Stiles! Disappeared him! Are you really going to let Theo kill Mason to get the Beast’s powers?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about Scott, Corey isn’t here, he’s probably just trying to save Mason, and probably from you.”

“What?”

“Well, you have taken my chimera hostage, and you did mind-rape him that one time.” Stiles smirked before wincing. “Don’t you remember, Scott?”

“It wasn’t like that.” The werewolf replied after a moment. “You need to let us handle Mason and the Beast. Lydia might know a way to save them both.”

“Both? No.”

“What? Come on, Stiles, I thought after tonight…you saved me, I save you-”

Stiles looked at Theo, holding the phone away for a moment. “Is this true?”

“Yeah.” The chimera replied distastefully. 

Stiles put the phone back to his ear. “Scott, look, you saved my life, and I saved yours, that just makes us even. But any version of this where we become something even close to friends again doesn’t exist.”

“Stiles, please, I…”

“You never listened to me, before, why should you start now?!” Stiles roared as anger gripped him and he hurled the phone across the room, shattering it on the tiles. 

Theo ducked, looking at his boyfriend warily. “Stiles?”

“Corey has taken Mason,” He replied, emotionlessly, “Whether out of a misguided sense of doing the right thing, or because he’s afraid that Mason will be killed when you take the Beast’s power.”

“Sounds like he was protecting Mason from Scott.”

Stiles frowned at him. “Are you defending Corey, Theo?”

“Let’s just say we reached an understanding,” Theo shrugged and smiled. “Besides, you don’t know what he plans to do.” 

“Well, unless he walks through the door with the Beast in tow, I’m pretty sure he's not on our side. I'm surrounded by traitors,” Stiles added, muttering.

"Hey, you still have me." Theo took him by the shoulders, sliding a hand forward to clasp his neck, until Stiles looked at him. "I'm here, and we'll get the Beast."

“Yes,” The Alpha Chimera released his power, letting their eyes return to normal. “We’ve been following the Beast, waiting for opportunities. Not anymore. We know we can defeat it, and with a little extra edge, we can get in close enough for you to steal its power, Theo.”

“How?”

“We track it, trap it, take it.”

“I thought that was what we wanted Lydia for?”

“Yeah, sort of,” Stiles shrugged, accepting a wet towel from Tracy to clean his face. “It was the Hellhound we wanted, but he’s only part of the puzzle. And we can’t be certain that Corey will give us Mason.”

“He’s very loyal to you.” Theo pointed out.

“But Mason is his boyfriend. There’s a lot you’d do for someone you love.”

 _I’m not sure it’s Mason he’s in love with._ Theo thought to himself, but out loud he said, “What do we do then?”

“There’s another way: what we took from Eichen House.”

"Valack's mask."

"Exactly." Stiles grinned. “Now, why don’t you start checking me out, I think I’ve broken a rib.”

“You’re a bit too calm for that.” Theo moved forward and gestured Stiles to lift the remains of his ripped lacrosse shirt. The chimera felt his boyfriend’s ribs gently. “Hmm, they’re not broken, damaged, but healing, almost? This is strange, the Dread Doctors said that the Overmind cannot heal itself, but their experiments never tested a truly successful chimera.”

“Maybe it can heal critical damage?” Stiles suggested, showing Theo his arm. “I’m still pretty torn up here. And my other side has this nasty gash in it.”

“Yeah, that actually makes sense.” Theo nodded, “Ok, let’s see.”

 

Deputy Strauss returned a few minutes later, the larger med-kit from the cruiser with him. “I thought you might need it.”

“Thanks,” Theo replied, “Just put it over there.”

“Ok…woah!” The Deputy jumped backwards, “There’s a man here! Chained up!”

“Oh, yeah. Forgot about him.” Stiles replied idly, standing up with Theo’s help. “Deucalion, why don’t you say hello to our guest?”

“A pleasure, I’m sure.” The werewolf drawled. “Police, hmm? But not the infamous Deputy Parrish, eh?” 

“No, Strauss.”

“He’s our captive werewolf, a source of mostly valuable intelligence.” Stiles laughed coldly, “I assume you’ve been listening?”

“Sadly, I have nothing better than to listen to teenagers and their illusions of glory.”

“You can take that back when they’re all bowing to me, Deucalion. And we’re close now, soon the power will be in our hands.” 

“So, you don’t have it yet?”

“Not quite, the creature is…more powerful than I expected.” Stiles admitted reluctantly.

"You don't even know what you're fighting, do you?" Deucalion asked, brows arched.

"The Beast," Stiles shrugged, "What does it matter?"

"It matters because you've been going about this all wrong. You call it 'The Beast' without ever knowing the truth behind the name, the legend of the greatest werewolf ever, the Beast of Gévaudan!"

"And you know that story?" Theo smirked. "The Doctors told me-"

"What you needed to know, they didn't tell you everything." Deucalion broke in. 

"So, tell us everything." Stiles commanded. 

The werewolf seemed to consider him for a moment before his sightless eyes moved on. "Very well. It all began here in North America, in what is now Canada, as it happens..."

 

"They were French, on the run from the British, two friends, Marcel and Sebastien, soldiers during the war in 1760s. It wasn't going well, the British were winning, Montreal had just fallen and they were both wounded."

"I don't have time for a history lesson, Deucalion." Stiles grunted when Strauss applied pressure to another of his wounds. He was sitting across from the werewolf as Theo prepared surgical tools behind him. "Get on with it."

"The Demon-Wolf was at-large in the country-side where Marcel and Sebastien were hiding from the British." Deucalion continued, ignoring him. "The peasant they took refuge with warned them, but they didn't care. That night the werewolf came, killing the soldiers one by one, in the most brutal and bloody fashion! Of course, he didn't know it then, but the Beast of Gévaudan had already been created."

"Gah, fuck." Stiles broke in, gritting his teeth.

"Sorry, there's splinters in the wound," The Deputy looked at him, "You really need to go to the hospital."

"No." Stiles growled, "Theo, help him. Keep talking, Deucalion." He added as his boyfriend took over from Strauss and gestured for the Deputy to grab the packets of gauze from the med-kit.

"Very well, Sebastien wrote a letter to his sister, a skilled huntress and tracker-the Hunters know her as the Maid of Gévaudan-before he went missing, she received the letter, but nothing else. It was here, a small town in the French countryside that the Beast came and began his killing spree in earnest, a body count into the hundreds, and no one could stop him!" Deucalion's voice rose, a tinge of excitement entering it. "But they tried, oh, how they tried! Hunting parties went after him, but they never returned, only discovered as grisly remains by other hunters who sought to claim the glory of taking down the Demon Wolf of Gévaudan. There was a bounty, gold offered for information that led to the creature's capture or death. They didn't know quite what it was; the descriptions varied: part hyena, part wolf, red fur, black fur, cloven hooves, a strip down its back, eyes that burned like the pits of hell itself, or were as cold as the bitterest blizzard in the depths of winter."

"Alright we get it, he's a monster and you're a fanboy. Fuck!" Stiles yelled as Theo pulled the two-inch-long splinter from his side.

"Got it. See?" He looked at the Alpha Chimera. "Ok, Strauss, hand me the pack of sutures, yeah those. Thanks. This is going to hurt." Theo added as Stiles grimaced.

"Do it." 

"Shall I continue? Very well." Deucalion smiled as Stiles growled in his throat. "The people of Gévaudan petitioned the King of France to send a party of professional hunters to kill the Beast, but until then, they continued to try and find it themselves. Instead of the Beast, they discovered more and more of his victims; children, women, men, the old, the infirm, no one was safe from the Beast, and none of the bodies were eaten; this was no normal animal. Sebastien returned from the war, and made sure everyone knew that his sister was the best hunter in the land, that if anyone should be leading their search parties, it was her."

"And she wasn't suspicious?" Theo asked as he pressed a dressing on Stiles’ arm. “Hold this.”

"Hardly, Marie-Jeanne was a sceptic; she did not believe in the supernatural, and was only glad to have her brother back."

"Did they succeed?" Stiles grunted as pain rushed across his ribs again. "Did they find the Beast?"

"As you know, Stiles, the Beast only comes out at night." Deucalion gave a short laugh, "They found it alright; Sebastian joined the hunt, aware of what had really happened in Canada. The party was attacked as their torches went out; a monster in the darkness ripping them all apart, until Marie-Jeanne was alone in the forest, the Beast circling her. She would have died, if not for another hunter, a real Hunter. He used mountain ash to create a barrier."

"So, the Beast can be stopped with Hunter techniques?" Stiles muttered to himself. "Go on. Thanks, Theo."

The chimera nodded and stood up, walking over to wash his hands clean of Stiles' blood, as much as he would have liked to keep his hands stained red.

"The secret of his defeat, as it happens." Deucalion sighed. "Sebastien was aware that he was the Beast, his friend, Marcel, knew it too. He hid the evidence, even attempted to trick Marie-Jeanne into killing him so Sebastien could continue on."

"Sounds devoted to his friend." The Alpha Chimera said, getting to his feet with Strauss' help. "Were they...?"

"I don't know," Deucalion shrugged. "I do know how Marie-Jeanne managed to kill her brother though. She hunted him for three years, eventually baiting him into a trap, driving a pike into his chest. It's a type of long spear." He added, smirking.

"I know what it is." Stiles growled irritably as he sat down on a proper chair. "What was special about the weapon?"

"Steel, forged with wolfsbane and mountain ash, mixed with her own blood under the light of a full moon."

"The source of your power."

"She drove it through him, killing him, and ensured that the truth would be kept secret." Deucalion finished his story.

"Hardly secret, if you know it." Theo said as he offered Stiles a cup of water. "Drink."

"I was fortunate enough to know a Hunter in my life before," Deucalion explained, his voice laden with regret. "She told me the story a long time ago, it was...tempting to see if the myth was true."

"Myth?"

"If you drink rain water from the paw print of a werewolf, you become the Demon Wolf." The werewolf gave another laugh, "Not quite the outcome I was hoping for."

"Yeah." Stiles looked at Strauss. "Thanks, but you better get back before my Dad really starts to freak out. I won’t forget this, Strauss."

"No problem." The Deputy smiled at him. "Do you want me to tell him anything?"

"No, I'll...talk to him later." 

 

Stiles gestured for Tracy to return Deucalion to his corner and pulled Theo to the other end of the lab. 

“I’m not sure you should be walking around,” Theo took his hand and slowed him down. “I counted over fifteen cuts and scrapes, plus that nasty side injury. Just because your lung drained of blood on its own…Yeah, it was that bad.” He explained when Stiles stared at him. “Just, lean against this, ok?”

“Fine.” Stiles smiled at him, “So, the Overmind still has some mysteries left, then?”

“Looks like it.” Theo glanced at the other end of the lab, but lowered his voice anyway. “Well, what did you think of that story?”

“It makes sense, both the Beast and the Hunters. In fact, Chris Argent, I remember Scott telling me one time that the family started in France, that they’ve been Hunters for a long time.” Stiles explained.

“And he’s here now, isn’t he?”

“Yeah, it’s a good bet that Argent told Scott, maybe that’s why he thinks a Banshee can save Mason.”

“Save him?” Theo repeated, “What do you mean?”

“That…” Stiles stopped mid-sentence and whirled around, purple eyes flashing dangerously as he forced Corey to reveal himself. 

“Stiles!” Corey cowered under the Alpha Chimera's wrath, eyes darting first to Theo and then back to him. “Please! Don’t be angry with me! I wasn’t trying to hide Mason away, I only took him because Scott and Liam were about to grab him.”

“Where is he?” Stiles demanded. _Good boy, Corey, did exactly what I wanted, now play your part. Make them believe that you’re bargaining with me._

“I, I want Mason to live, I’ll only hand him over if you promise he’ll be safe. You can get the power from the Beast and not hurt him. Mason’s fine, even after all the damage you did to the Beast earlier.”

“Hmm.” Stiles appeared to consider the chimera’s words. _Excellent._ “Very well, you have my word: I will do everything I can to make sure he survives.”

“Really?” Corey looked at him suspiciously.

“Yes, you trust me, don’t you?”

“Of course, it’s just…”

“I know.” Stiles put his arm on Corey’s shoulder and steered him back to the center of the lab. “The problem is that the chimera part of the Beast is gone, that was all-werewolf in the library. The next time Mason transforms, it won’t be Mason coming back, it will be Sebastien, the Beast of Gévaudan!”

“Please, help him!” Corey pulled away from Stiles’ contact, facing him. “I’ll, I’ll even take you there now?”

“Ok.” The Alpha Chimera nodded after a moment of appearing to think. _Perfect, now to make sure you are playing a role. Yes, he’s your boyfriend, but I’m your Alpha!_

Theo frowned at Stiles, _You’re lying, to Corey, why? Is it because you don’t care about Mason, and just want his power? That will hurt him, that kind of betrayal, and to your favourite chimera? This is an impulse, right? You haven’t been building to this the whole time, have you Stiles? I mean, you were staring at Mason this evening like you knew something was up about him, but encouraging Corey to stay with him, building all this trust, and then betraying it?_ The chimera flicked his gaze to Corey and felt a sly grin pull at his lips. _Holy shit, unless, the plan all along was to get Corey to trust you? Trust you so completely, so totally dependent on your approval and even the possibility of something more, that he’ll freely give you his own boyfriend? No, that, he wouldn’t? Right? That’s…Well, that’s exactly what the Surgeon described in his notes about the Overmind; powerful, manipulative, favours the long term strategy._

“Theo. Theo?” Stiles tapped his boyfriend on the chest. “Hey, you ok?”

“Yeah, uh, something just occurred to me is all.”

“Right, I’m going to go with Corey, and find Mason.” Stiles explained, “If he freaks out, Corey and I can hide.”

“Sounds good.” Theo nodded, absently. “I’ll get started on analysing Valack’s mask.”

“Thanks.” Stiles smiled at him and gestured for Corey to lead the way. Once they were back on the surface, he turned to the younger chimera and placed both hands on his shoulders, pulling him closer, looking into Corey’s eyes. “You were perfect. I’ll tell them in time, but we need to be careful about handling Mason.”

“I know,” He broke eye contact and looked down, “You weren’t really mad at me then, Stiles?”

“No, of course not.” The Alpha Chimera tilted his head back up, purple eyes flaring. “Loyalty will be rewarded, Corey.”

“I brought his car!” Corey held up his boyfriend’s keys and Stiles grinned at him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This episode was so very French! And as a result, things got changed up and it’s somewhat shorter than the others, probably not a bad thing, since we’re firmly in the endgame for this Part…Nothing to do with Mass Effect coming out, err…


	19. Connection

“You doubled back, right?”

“What?” Corey frowned at him.

“For the car?”

“Yeah,” He nodded, “Scott and Liam had gone, and I couldn’t find yours with all the cops. Besides, the shoe…”

“Yes, they know now, but if Mason disappears completely, they might suspect that he’s run away.” Stiles glanced at Corey when the chimera pulled over. “We’re here?”

“Yeah, it’s, uh, it’s down there, in the storm drains. There’s a broken cover in one of the outflow pipes.” Corey pointed and Stiles nodded. “He’s not far, and there’s never enough rain this time of year to be dangerous.”

“Good.” The Alpha Chimera got out and looked around. The street was deserted and he gestured silently for Corey to lead them onwards. “How did you find this place?”

“Well, err,” The chimera shrugged, "I used to play here all the time as a kid, until I was caught and told never to come back. Only time my parents really paid attention to me."

"And you didn't turn into a juvenile delinquent?" Stiles laughed. "Hmm, good idea though, Scott will find it hard to track Mason down here."

"That's what I was thinking," Corey nodded. “Over here. This is the pipe.” He pushed back the dented sheet of metal that was wedged against the side of the drain. Stiles followed him inside, sniffing the humid air carefully.

“How far?”

“Three minutes, maybe five. I wasn’t really counting.”

“Ok, has he said anything?”

“No, he seemed surprised when Scott confronted him.” Corey replied, “Watch your step. And then, when we arrived, he just sorta fell asleep. That’s why I came to you as fast as I did.”

“I see.” Stiles nodded, thinking aloud. “The Beast took a lot of damage from both the packs, but you said that Mason looked normal, unhurt. Maybe the Beast needs time to recharge, forced him asleep?”

“Sure.” Corey replied uncertainly as they rounded the last corner. “There.” He pointed at a circular opening where Mason lay. The chimera glanced back at Stiles for confirmation before he knelt down and shook his boyfriend awake. “Mason!”

The Alpha Chimera remained in the shadows, his eyes a vivid purple in the darkness, waiting.

Mason stood quickly, pushing away Corey’s offered hand. He looked at him confusingly. "What? What are we doing here?"

"It was the only place I could think of," Corey replied, "Where you'd be safe, and Scott wouldn't find you." 

Stiles felt Mason's eyes on him, and he stepped forward. "And then Corey came to me, because he knew that I can help you, Mason, in fact, I can save you."

“Save me from what?”

“The monster in the dark, the one that’s been ripping people apart, carving a bloody trail across Beacon Hills.” The Alpha Chimera grinned. “I should have seen it sooner, even if I smelt it long before I knew. That day in Scott’s, when the Alpha plunged his claws into Corey’s neck? There was something…different about you, something that the Overmind noticed, but not me.”

“What are you talking about?” Mason stared at him like he was crazy. "I'm not, I can't be-"

"The Beast?" Stiles finished, glancing at Corey. "You don't have much time; the next transformation will be your last; the bond between chimera and Beast is all but severed. You must come with me now if you want to live."

"He's telling the truth, Mason." Corey said, looking at him. "Please."

"No, you're wrong, both of you!" Mason shook his head, refusing to accept it.

"It was on the bus, after I made us disappear, I felt something, I don't know how to describe it, but it felt wrong, dark, evil." The chimera reached out and touched Mason's shoulder, "Trust me."

Stiles backed off as his chimera tried to make Mason more comfortable. He idly glanced around at the pipes bolted to the walls. Corey’s heart-beat was fast, his pulse spiking, and the Alpha Chimera looked back at him. _Easy, Corey, keep calm._

The younger chimera swallowed when Mason turned to look at him, a quick glance confirming that Stiles had moved away. “Hey, c’mon, Mason, please. I know that you have concerns about Stiles, about this Alpha Chimera thing, but I trust him. He’s not going to hurt you, he’s going to help you.”

“Help me?” Mason repeated, eyes wide. “Corey, if you’re right, if the Beast, then, no…I can’t believe it.”

"Every other second I'm with you it feels totally and completely right." Corey said, taking a rapid glance at the Alpha Chimera and then back to Mason. _He’s human now, right? And that wasn’t really a lie, I mean, he’s right there. Ok, maybe I'm not talking about the guy in front of me, but._

"It can't be me."

"After I left the bus, I never saw you at the game, remember? We were meant to meet up with Stiles and Theo no matter what." He was looking at Mason, seeing the stress on his face, hearing his blood pounding faster. “Where were you?”

"I went to...I was..."

"Exactly," Stiles spoke again, "Transmissions, Mason. You were the one who figured that little puzzle out. Where were you on the night the cell tower was attacked?"

"Or the Observatory downtown?" Corey added.

"Or the Army Base?" The Alpha Chimera pressed him, moving forward to look at him better.

"All the times you said there were transmissions," Corey looked at Stiles as Mason turned away from them. The Alpha Chimera signalled for him to continue. "Where were you?"

The teenager shook his head, but saw Corey's look and sighed. "I don't remember, ok?"

"Yes." Stiles nodded. “That is the point, Mason, you don’t remember, because you are the Beast. Every day you’re a normal teenager, and every night, when the right frequency finds you, the Beast emerges.”

“And kills people.” Mason muttered, staring at his hands. “Oh god, I’m gonna be sick.”

“Perhaps it is a good thing then, that you don’t remember.” The Alpha Chimera pointed out. “The sensation of your claws slicing through flesh, blood staining your skin, life extinguished purely because you can.”

“Enough!” Mason sank to his knees, looking at Corey, “It’s still my fault. What do I do?”

“You know what to do.” His boyfriend knelt beside him, hand on his cheek. “Scott will stop the Beast no matter what, Stiles has a better way, don’t you?” Corey’s eyes flicked up to him.

“Of course, you won’t feel a thing.” He smiled again. _Thank you Corey, you have proved your loyalty yet again. But I wonder if you believe what you are saying? Or are you doing this because it is what your Alpha wants? Hard to read a chameleon._ “But you need to come with me now, it’s no longer safe here.”

"I thought you said Scott couldn't find me?"

"It's not him I'm worried about." Stiles looked up as a hum reached the edge of his hearing. "The Doctors can still trace your frequency; we are unique after all, the Beast and the Alpha Chimera. And now we are both in the same place. I don’t have a full pack with me, I cannot fight them off. We must leave."

"You want me to go with you? Are you crazy?" Mason shook his head, “I know you trust him, Corey, but what about Theo, or Tracy, or Josh? They’re all crazy!” 

“Look at the facts, Mason, the werewolf living inside you has racked up quite the body count.” Stiles spread his hands dramatically, “Scott wants to stop the Beast, same as I do, but he doesn't really have a plan for saving the chimera trapped inside. I do. You will give your powers to Theo, and I will give you your life back.” He looked at Corey, still kneeling beside Mason. "That's what we all want, isn't it? That's what your boyfriend wants."

“I…” Mason turned to Corey, "Do you trust him, really trust him?"

"Yeah." He answered without hesitation, nodding vigorously. "Now, c'mon, Mason-"

"They're here." Stiles broke in quietly. The hum shifted to the slow, steady thump of boots on the concrete. He bowed his head, concentrating, without the rest of his chimeras, he felt almost like a normal human. Unless… “Wait, I have an idea. Mason, stay still.”

“Err, ok.” His brows shot up as Stiles approached him, the palm of his hand touching against the teen’s forehead. Corey watched in silence as they both went motionless. Then the Alpha Chimera’s eyes snapped open, pulsing once. _Woah! Did he just…_

“Nothing. Damn, alright, let’s go.” Stiles sighed, disappointed, _A brief flash, as though I had touched the werewolf chimera inside, and then it vanished. I’m too late. Looks like Theo will get what he wants after all._ He looked up as the thud of boots came closer. “Corey! The Dread Doctors are here!”

“What? Why?" Corey asked, panicked, standing up quickly.

"They have come for the Beast, they resurrected the werewolf, it knows who it is, and now they want it back." Stiles gestured back the way they came, "We need to go, now!"

 

Stiles pushed Mason to go faster, glancing back to make sure Corey was behind them. The tunnels twisted and turned, dank passageways, and dark corridors, all the same wet concrete. Mason paused as a choice of three tunnels faced him. “Turn left!” Corey cried from behind, but then they ran into a dead-end. 

“Hmm.” Stiles felt strangely calm, almost detached from what was happening. He could smell Corey and Mason’s fear, the beating of their hearts was almost deafening, but Stiles didn’t feel any of the panic he was used to associating with these situations. He pointed at the ladder to the surface. “Go! Corey, go first, then you, Mason.”

Corey started climbing rapidly, pushing the grate up and out, scrabbling onto the asphalt of the road that ran beside the industrial estate. He turned and reached down to help Mason out, his hand grasping his boyfriend’s arm. Stiles climbed out next, refusing his assistance.

“No need, they’re gone.” He glanced up at the sky, thunder rumbling ominously as rain started to fall. “They’ll be back. Soon too. Ah.” Stiles smirked as the hum returned, that static sound that lingered on the edge of his hearing. “The car is that way, let’s go.” They began to run as the rain hammered down around them, soaking them thoroughly, visibility deteriorating to almost nothing. The hum got louder and Stiles skidded to a halt, looking around with a snarl. "You can't have him!" He roared at the empty air. "He's still a chimera, he's still mine!"

“Stiles!” Corey called out, stopping as Mason pulled his arm. “No, wait, come on!”

“No.” The Alpha Chimera muttered and stood still as the Dread Doctors shuddered into existence.

“Mason. Mason. Mason.” The Surgeon repeated his name with an awful finality and the teenager backed away fearfully. He and Corey began to run away again, the Doctor reaching out with grasping hands.

“Go!” Stiles shouted back, as the Geneticist and Pathologist walked closer to him. The Alpha Chimera’s eyes burned purple. "You will not take my victory!" 

Corey stopped again, looking back at Stiles, the Surgeon turning away from Mason and back to the Alpha Chimera. His boyfriend was standing under the overpass, urging him to follow. _I can’t leave him._ His choice made, the chimera ran back towards Stiles, hands curled into fists.

“Corey!” Mason yelled after him. He swore under his breath, but followed Corey back to the fight.

Stiles ducked the Pathologist’s slow punch and danced backwards, turning invisible, reappearing when the Doctor reached out for Mason. “Nope!” He punched hard, targeting the ribs, and felt his hand crack. “Argh! What is that, iron?” Stiles ducked and pulled back as the Doctors surrounded Mason, he moved to help Corey upright, the rain washing away the chimera’s bloody lip.

“Cease.” The Surgeon’s voice cut through the struggle. 

Stiles looked over, seeing the secret blade in the Doctor’s cane pressed against Mason’s neck. He stopped moving, shaking his head. "You wouldn't. This is your success!"

"We can replicate it. Start over."

"When you're so close?"

"We will take the risk, can you?" The Surgeon stared at him, waiting.

"No." Stiles shook his head. "Take him."

"Thank you, Overmind." The Doctor’s tone was mocking as he gave a short bow and pushed Mason towards the Pathologist.

 

“What? You’re just letting them take him?” Corey demanded angrily, pushing against Stiles’ restraining arm. “We need to-”

“No. Let them go.” Stiles pulled him back, watching the Dread Doctors walk through the rain one moment and the disappear the next. “I told you and Mason to run. You didn’t have to come back.”

“I couldn’t just leave you.” Corey looked at him, anger draining away. “I…” He was about to say something else but stopped himself.

Stiles nodded, _I know. And now that the Dread Doctors have Mason, you won’t object anymore, will you, my little chimera?_ “Give me your phone, I need to warn Theo. There’s a good chance they have a plan for this part of the Beast’s resurrection, he’ll know. And if they’re going to the lab…”

“He needs to get out.” Corey finished for him and pulled out his phone. “Here.”

“Thanks.” Stiles was about to type in Theo’s number, when the younger chimera spoke again.

“It’s in the address book.”

“I didn’t think you two were that friendly?”

“We found some common ground.” Corey shrugged. “What are we going to do?”

Stiles pressed the call icon. “I had a plan before you returned. Theo? It’s me. Yeah, well it didn’t quite work out…They’re heading your way, grab what you need, and tell Tracy to get…Oh, well, I’ll see you there.” Stiles glanced at Corey, noticing that he was shivering, soaking wet. “I’ll see you in an hour, I need to change, it’s pouring out.” He ended the call and handed the phone back. “Come on, let’s find the car.”

“O, Ok.” Corey replied through chattering teeth, even his pockets were full of water.

“Are you cold?”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“Hmm.” Stiles gestured for the chimera to give him the keys to Mason’s car and they sat inside. “Ok, at least we’re out of the rain. We’ll head back to my house, I need to change anyway, still in my damn lacrosse uniform, what’s left of it anyway.” He laughed shortly, pulling out his torn shirt as evidence. “And you’ve left your stuff there.”

“What about your Dad? You didn’t exactly-”

“He’ll be at the high school all night,” Stiles broke in, turning on the ignition. “We have time, and when I see him next, I’ll be a lot more than just Alpha Chimera.”

Corey looked at him, expecting Stiles to continue, but he didn’t. He frowned and reached down to turn the heater to full blast.

 

Theo studied the mask from every angle, but it was just an ugly helmet in his hands. “What’s so special about it?” He whispered, “What’s your secret?”

“It won’t tell you.”

The chimera whirled around at Deucalion’s mocking reply. “What do you mean? What do you know about it?”

“More than you, more than your Alpha Chimera.” The werewolf examined his nails as Theo stood in front of him. “I could tell you, I suppose.”

“Then tell me!”

“Hmm.” Silence stretched between them until Deucalion nodded, seeming to have made up his mind. “Very well. The mask can only be worn by someone whose abilities rely on electro-magnetism. For anyone else, they’ll go mad, or die, or go mad and then die.”

“The Surgeon made it.” Theo whispered, a half-forgotten memory tugging at him. “I remember, long ago, there was damage, a chimera experiment went wrong and he lost an eye-piece.”

“Well, there you go.”

Theo turned away, ignoring the werewolf, “Tracy!”

“Yeah?” She looked bored, and he turned to her, grinning.

“Where’s Josh?”

“I’m not sure, he left before we did, in the library.”

“You know his scent?”

“Of course,” She smirked, catching on. “I’ll go find him.”

“Good, bring him to my house, we’ll meet with Stiles and Corey, and hopefully, he’ll have the Beast with him. In human form.” Theo added when she hesitated. He placed the mask on a nearby counter, his phone vibrating in his pocket. _Corey?_ The chimera answered, “Yeah?”

“Theo? It’s me.”

“You’re using Corey’s phone? Oh, yeah, yours is smashed.” He nodded, “Do you have him?”

“Yeah, well it didn’t quite work out.”

“Shit. Dread Doctors, I take it?”

“They’re heading your way, grab what you need, and tell Tracy to get-”

“She’s already gone,” Theo broke in, glancing at Deucalion. “I’ll take the mask, everything else here is disposable. We’ll meet you at my house, I have a lead, well, more than that.” He nodded as Stiles ended the call, and picked up the mask. 

“You still need me, Theo.” Deucalion growled at him, but the chimera just smirked.

“See ya!”

 

Stiles pulled into the driveway, looking up and down the street to ensure that they hadn’t been followed. “Can’t be too careful,” He explained when Corey looked at him. “C’mon, shower’s electric so there’s always hot water.”

“Huh?”

“You’re still freezing, chimera or not. Get out of the wet clothes, you shower first, then me, then we go to Theo’s. He’s been working on the backup plan.”

“I didn’t know we had one,” Corey muttered distractedly as he followed Stiles inside. “Upstairs, right?”

“Yeah, first door on the left.” Stiles pointed and pulled off his wet, blood-stained, ripped lacrosse shirt. “Fuck, if I ever play again, Coach is going to grill me. Go on. Bathroom’s there.” 

“Right.” Corey moistened his lips, and tried to control his heart-beat as Stiles stood in the hallway, shirtless, dripping wet. He somehow managed to pull his eyes away and shut the door, leaning on it. _Fuck. Fuck. Fuck._

Stiles laughed to himself as he finished changing out of his uniform, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around his waist. He sat on the bed, hearing the water flow, waiting for Corey to finish up. _So, he’s obviously not that upset about Mason. Maybe I should have just done this in the beginning, but that would be pretty cruel, and as much as nothing can happen, he’s really cute when he’s embarrassed._

Corey turned the water off and stepped out of the shower, steam filling the bathroom, He pulled a towel around himself and glanced in the mirror before it fogged up completely. _What about Mason, huh?_ Part of his brain demanded, as his mind flashed an image of Stiles in front of him. “Yeah, I know but….” He whispered and stooped to pick up his clothes, managing to unlock the door and juggle everything without the towel falling. Corey walked out, but Stiles’ door was closed, he dumped his wet clothes in a pile on the floor of the guest room, and returned to Stiles’ room.

The Alpha Chimera looked up when a knock came on his door, “Yeah? Come in Corey.” Stiles swallowed as the younger chimera entered, fresh out of the shower, skin flushed and water dribbling down his face and torso, still clad in just a towel. _Woah._

“Shower’s free. Uh, just to let you know.”

“Thanks,” Stiles tightened his own towel and stood up, pushing his lips together to hide his grin, _Nice tent, Corey!_ “I’ll be done in fifteen minutes.”

“Ok.” He turned to watch Stiles leave and groaned internally. _I can’t help it! He’s so damn hot!_

Stiles let the hot water pound the back of his neck as he stood under the spray, lost in thought. Not about Corey, or even Theo, but the Beast. _I can feel it slipping away, every time we get close, we’re pushed back. Mason is the key, Corey cares for his…friend, and I’ve used that to get to this point. I should have brought Theo with me earlier, but would it have worked? It’s the Beast’s power we need to steal, not Mason’s. And I could feel it when I touched him; weak, below the surface. It might have worked, if the chimera had more of a presence, if we had weakened it before now. Yeah, well, I’ve plenty of regrets. So, let’s stop making more and take what should be mine!_ He reached back and flipped the water off.

 

Theo looked up as Stiles and Corey entered the living room. “Finally, I was beginning to wonder…”

“Wonder no more, I have arrived!” Stiles grinned and kissed him. “You have the mask?”

“Yeah, and now that Josh has returned to us-”

“Hey, I left when Corey did!” The chimera protested as Tracy led him towards the fire.

“Ok, but Corey had a mission,” Stiles’ eyes flashed dangerously, “You did not. I know you’re not a coward, Josh. So, I know that we can rely on you for whatever it is we need you for.”

“Yes, Alpha.” He muttered, hanging his head.

“Good. Theo?”

“The mask was constructed to harness electro-magnetic fields, so only someone with that ability can put it on safely.” Theo placed the mask on the coffee table. “I know it doesn’t look like much, but it’ll kill anyone else.”

“I see. Well, no, actually I don’t.” Stiles frowned, “What exactly will it show him?” Josh struggled, but Tracy’s grip was iron tight. The Alpha Chimera glanced at him. “Don’t talk just yet Josh, that’s right, your jaw muscles won’t work for a while.”

“He’ll see with the Dread Doctors’ eyes.” Theo explained, ignoring Josh’s muffled protests. “He could see where Mason is, or the Beast-”

“Don’t we already know that?” Corey broke in, “He’s at the lab, right?”

“Maybe,” Theo shrugged, “They’re probably at the secondary lab though.”

“What secondary lab?” Stiles looked at him.

“They’ve almost entirely abandoned the main lab where the mural is, where we’ve been meeting. But since they’re not making chimeras anymore, they don’t need a full surgery.” Theo sighed. “It could be anywhere.”

“What exactly are they doing to him?”

“Uh, well, the Surgeon’s notes talk about this process of restoring the Beast to full strength by recreating the man of Gévaudan.” Theo explained.

“Sebastien?”

“Yeah, the Doctors theorised that the chimera could bring back the Beast, but until the Beast remembered who it was, the man, it would always be tied to the chimera.”

“I see.” Stiles muttered. “And Mason?”

“Gone, just like you said, Stiles, the chimera-Beast bond is broken,” Theo looked at Corey, seeing the younger chimera staring into the fire. “As soon as he turns into the Beast again, Mason disappears.”

The Alpha Chimera nodded slowly. “You may speak, Josh.”

“Thank you, Alpha.” He grunted as the pressure on his jaw disappeared.

“Now, I need you to put on that mask, and allow us to find Mason before he becomes the Beast forever.” 

Corey finally looked up and glanced at Stiles. “You still mean to save him?”

“I mean to try.” He exchanged a look with Theo, “Whether or not we succeed, depends on finding him.” Stiles nodded at Josh. “Well?”

"You want me to put it on?"

Theo glanced at Stiles, brows raised slightly. "I don't think your Alpha was asking."

"You won't die if you put it on." Stiles explained. “It’s designed for you.”

"How do you know that?" Josh shrugged at him, "Or is it just that you don't want to put it on yourself?"

Stiles simply smiled and the chimera frowned, looking at Theo.

"Or you?"

"I'm not afraid to do it, Josh." Theo replied, folding his arms. "I'm just not stupid."

"You can wear it, Josh, and you alone." Stiles gestured at the mask. "You have the electro-magnetic power that is required, I only borrow it from you, like I borrow the fangs from Theo, Corey's invisibility, or Tracy's venom. You actually store and recharge electricity." The Alpha Chimera came closer to him, "Pick it up, and you'll see, you don't have to put it on just yet. But touch the surface." Stiles' eyes flashed dangerously, "Or I could make you, as I did to Hayden?"

"I, I'll touch it." Josh agreed hurriedly. He picked it up slowly, the hiss of static suffusing around his finger-tips. He looked at the gathered pack. "What is this thing?"

"Deucalion told me that the Surgeon created the first mask, a fusion of genius and madness." Theo explained. "Technology and the supernatural colliding together to create objects of unparalleled power and danger."

Josh slowly lifted the mask to his face, as Stiles watched him, letting the chimera act freely, for now. Theo, beside him, was grinning, eager, the scent hard and sharp. Josh halted just before he put the mask on. "I'm not putting this thing on! You want to know who it is, do it yourself!"

"That was not the answer I was looking for, Josh." Stiles growled.

“How can you trust Deucalion?” Corey asked, interrupting him. “Maybe it’s a trap?”

“And what do you suggest doing instead? Nothing?” The Alpha Chimera barked at him. “I will not let the Beast’s power slip from my grasp again!”

 _Your grasp?_ Theo glared at him. “Stiles? A word outside?”

“Fine.” He looked around the room as the other three chimeras looked at the floor to avoid his furious gaze. “The rest of you, consider Hayden, she will pay for her treachery, do not make me add to the list.” Stiles turned and swept out of the room, Theo following him.

 

“What the hell was that, Stiles?” He demanded once they were alone in the backyard. “Your grasp? I’m the one who will steal the power, remember?”

“Yeah, and then I wield it through you.” Stiles frowned at him. “What is it?”

“You’ve changed.”

“Of course I’ve changed.” The Alpha Chimera growled, “You changed me: The Sacrifice, don’t you remember? Everything could’ve stopped that day, I should’ve been arrested, and then all your plans would have fallen apart.”

“Don’t tell me you want that?” Theo shook his head slowly. “We’re on the brink of something major here, Stiles.”

“I am aware. And I want this.” Stiles avoided his gaze and looked up at the stars in the now clear sky. “We will find Mason, or the Man of Gévaudan, or the Beast, and you will steal its power. And then, finally, we will be powerful enough. I just need to get you close enough to Mason before he turns, and then we dial the frequency, the Beast comes and you bury your claws in his chest.”

“I almost had him earlier, in the hallway.” Theo said, catching Stiles’ purple stare. “I could feel it, the spark of power, so close, just out of reach.”

“One more time, we just need to get it right once.”

“We need Josh to put on that mask.”

“He will.” Stiles replied simply. “Whether through his resolve or mine, he will serve the Alpha Chimera.”

“Now that’s the Stiles I know and, err.” Theo didn’t finish, even as he smiled.

“Still afraid to say it, Theo?” Stiles tilted his head at him, “Well, I still love you.”

“Yeah.” The chimera coughed, changing the subject. “What are you going to tell Corey? He still thinks we can save Mason.”

“And we will, save him from an eternity trapped inside a monster.” Stiles shrugged as Theo raised a brow, unconvinced. “We probably won’t have to tell him anything. You heard his pulse earlier, and was that relief I smelt when you told him that Mason is gone?”

"Maybe."

"Well then." Stiles smirked, "He'll do anything for me, he already has."

"You had him steal Mason?" Theo frowned, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I'm telling you now."

"Right." He replied gruffly. “Alpha.”

"We're doing this for us, Theo, you and me, remember?" Stiles slipped his hand into Theo's, the chimera looking at him. "We started this together, and no matter how many chimeras enter our pack, we will always be together."

“You said we’d be…it was something strange.”

“The Chimera Emperor and the Consort.” Stiles grinned at him as Theo smiled.

“That was it. Alright your Highness, shall we?”

 

Josh nibbled at his fingernails, looking at the mask. Corey had sat down beside the fire, while Tracy milled around impatiently. “Are you going to put that on?” He asked Josh.

“I don’t want to.”

“The Alpha does.”

“Then he should put it on!” Josh replied defiantly, voice rising. “It’s not-”

“Not what?” Stiles’ voice cut across him and the chimera shook his head. “Oh, come on Josh, Corey is right, I do want you to put it on.”

“Please, Alpha, don’t make me.”

Stiles smiled darkly and pulled Josh close to him, looking into his eyes. “I won’t let you get hurt, I need your power, remember? I need you alive.”

“I…I don’t know.”

"We'll do it together, then. If you do it freely, you'll be fine." He paused, looked at Theo and then back to Josh. "You will obey me, chimera." His eyes flared and the other members of the pack's eyes burned simultaneously. Stiles took a deep breath as the power rushed over him, feeling united with the pack, not quite as potent when he had all five under his command, but still heady enough to make a feral grin spread across his face. He released the chimera and stood back.

"I am yours to command, Alpha." Josh knelt before him and Stiles laughed triumphantly. 

He tilted the chimera's chin upwards. "Then let us begin." The Alpha Chimera’s eyes burned purple and he held out his hand. Theo placed the mask in his hands and stepped back. “Ah, I can feel it, a touch of power. You can do this, Josh, are you ready?”

“Yeah. Do it.”

Stiles slowly placed the mask on the chimera’s upturned face, pushing down until it fit snugly over his head. There was a tingling sensation across his skin as their connection bucked and fizzed, power flowing through him and around him, energy rushing down his arms. Josh released a muffled gasp as a sharp crackle of static snapped the air around them, the mask seemingly tightening of its own accord. He began to struggle, but Stiles shook his head, “No. You’ve only just put it on. Now, open your eyes Josh, show me what I need to see.” Electricity flowed between them, gathering at the points where Stiles' fingers were pushing down the mask. 

Theo moved around to stand beside Corey, blinking in surprise when he saw Stiles’ eyes flickering, shifting rapidly between white and purple. “What the…”

"Yes! Yes, I can feel it. A little longer." The Alpha Chimera called out. “I can see it now, a man in the snow, dying, dead, a blood pool around him, impaled on a spike, it’s him, the Beast of Gévaudan! And, the Surgeon, before he was the Surgeon, I think, I cannot be sure. Ah, moving, yes.”

Corey glanced at Theo, whispering, “This is safe, right?”

“For Stiles, sure, he’s only seeing what Josh is.” The chimera held up a finger to quieten him as Stiles began to speak again.

“The lab…it’s, argh, the image is fading.” The Alpha Chimera growled irritably, his eyes returning to a steady purple. He looked down and pulled the mask off of Josh. The chimera collapsed sideways, blood streaming from every orifice. “He’s alive. Tracy, take him upstairs and throw him on the spare bed. I want him functional by morning.”

“Yes, Alpha.” 

 

“What did you see, Stiles?” Corey asked eagerly once Josh and Tracy had left the room. “Do you know where Mason is?”

“No, I didn’t see that.” The Alpha Chimera sat down heavily. “I saw the death of the Beast, and then the lab, it was like looking at a living x-ray, some detail, but mostly the bones of things. Deucalion is still there.”

“Oh,” Theo shrugged, “I didn’t think he was important enough to bring.”

“We’ll deal with him later.” Stiles dismissed it, “I also saw, or maybe felt, the Dread Doctors’ energy. They were there, in the lab, but not with Mason, they came for the tank. The, uh, the floating thing, body.”

“ _Der Soldat._ ” Theo whispered, he looked at their blank faces. “It’s German for 'The Soldier.' That’s what they call him, he goes everywhere with them, but I thought it was unusual that they’d leave him in the lab. I should’ve known that they’re never careless.”

“So, where did this soldier come from?”

“I’m pretty sure he fought in World War Two. He was an Alpha werewolf.”

"A Nazi?" Stiles replied. "Nazi werewolves!"

Corey laughed and Theo glanced between them. “What?”

“Oh, nothing, go on.”

"The Dread Doctors were using him to prolong their lives, they'd been doing it for decades; using the regenerative powers of the werewolf on themselves."

"It what you used to bring them back." Stiles muttered, eyes darting at Corey. "Is he alive?"

"Yeah, that's not a body, that's a werewolf kept in a coma, it needs a power source: a convergence of telluric currents." Theo said. "We're in the Doctors' end game here."

“What does that mean?” Corey asked him.

“We need to find their secondary lab. Doesn’t Scott have a map of telluric currents in Beacon Hills?” Theo replied, glancing at Stiles. “Maybe he’ll deal?”

“We have nothing he wants, and we don’t have to ask him.” Stiles shook his head, “Get your laptop, I kept a copy on my phone, but I remember emailing it to myself.”

“What happened to your phone? Is it in your car?” Corey looked at him as Theo powered up his computer.

“Heh, no, I broke it.” Stiles smiled ruefully, “A bit of theatrics, plus I’m cut off from Scott, my Dad, it makes this phase of our plan easier, our grand strategy, that is.” He added as Corey frowned at him.

“Ok, you know your password, right?” Theo called out.

“Yeah, move over.” Stiles typed quickly and pulled up the map. “Ok, so, eliminating all the places it can’t be…here.”

“Deep in the Preserve.” Theo muttered. “Are we waiting for Josh to recover?”

“We have to.” Stiles confirmed, “Without a full pack, we’re not strong enough to take on the Dread Doctors and mount a rescue.”

“Damn.”

“I have a job for you though.”

“Oh?” Theo glanced at his boyfriend. “Nothing menial, I hope?”

“Hardly.” Stiles looked at Corey, seeing him yawn. “Go get some rest, I need everyone at full power.”

“Yes, Alpha.” Corey mumbled sleepily as he pulled himself up.

The Alpha Chimera waited until he was out of earshot before speaking again. “Take Tracy, return to the lab, retrieve Deucalion, the werewolf has something you need.” 

“I think I’m going to enjoy this.”

“Well, I hope so. Because he has outlived his use. Take his power, we lost a chimera with Hayden tonight, I want to make sure that your claws and our connection works as intended before we steal the Beast's power." 

“Anything for you, Stiles.” Theo said as he stood up. He glanced to his right, seeing Tracy walking stiffly towards them. “I could have just called her, you know.”

“Sure, but why wait?” The Alpha Chimera laughed and released his control over Tracy, addressing his next words at her. “Go with Theo, find Deucalion, and follow my boyfriend’s lead.”

“As you command, Alpha.”

 

Theo nodded at her, “Be ready, when I pull out the wolfsbane drip, he’ll try and make a run for it. Paralyse him and then stand back.”

“You’re going to kill him?” Tracy asked eagerly.

“Not just that,” He let his claws emerge and the blue talons slid down over them. “The Alpha Chimera wants to be certain that these will work when the time comes.”

“I like this plan.” She grinned in the darkness of the tunnel, “It’s simple.”

Theo laughed and pushed open the door to the lab. “Deucalion, I’m home!” He sung and chuckled. “You miss me?”

“Oh, I never tire of your teenage antics, Theo, you know that.” The werewolf replied drily. “Your old friends were here earlier, took something quite large.”

“Yeah, we know all about it.”

“What? He put on the mask?” Deucalion sounded different, uneasy, afraid almost.

“Yeah,” Theo knelt beside him and started to pull out the tubing. “Don’t move too much. You’re being transferred.”

“I’m not sure I’ll be able to walk very far.”

“Uh huh.” Theo ripped out the last of it and scrambled backwards, his claws and talons re-emerging. Deucalion stood up unsteadily, but his eyes were drawn to the chimera’s claws. “Can you see me Deucalion?”

“I can see that I won’t need to walk far at all.”

“Pretending to be blind all this time?” Theo asked, circling the werewolf, Tracy moving opposite to him. “That wasn’t very nice. What exactly was your plan, here, Deucalion?”

“I don’t think that matters now, I’m an Alpha, you’re not even a real werewolf!”

Theo flicked his eyes at Tracy and growled. She darted in, before Deucalion had time to react and sliced the back of his neck, poisoning him.

“Ah! You, you….” His words petered out and the werewolf slumped over.

“You don’t have much time.” Tracy said as she walked past Theo. “Let’s see if it works.”

“Yeah, let’s.” Theo got down on one knee, looking into Deucalion’s red eyes. He grinned and thrust his talons deep into the werewolf’s chest. Blood dripped down his hand as Theo twisted, feeling Deucalion resist. After a moment, the werewolf managed to raise his head, a strange smile lingering around his lips.

“Not who I expected to kill me.” He managed as Theo’s claws finally dug in enough for the chimera to feel the werewolf’s spark within his reach. “You…”

“Shut up!” Theo growled and clenched his fist, power rushing up his arm, hair standing on end. His blood pounded in his ears, his claws felt sharper, fangs larger, sight flickering between normal and blood-red. Finally he looked down at Deucalion, the werewolf’s lips moving one last time. Despite his earlier words, Theo leant in.

“Pain. Life. Power…”

Theo leaned back and roared triumphantly at the ceiling. “At last, I am an Alpha!” _I am equal with Stiles._ He glanced at Tracy, “What do you think?”

“Your eyes are red.” She muttered, shaking her head, looking at Deucalion’s body. “What do we do with him?”

“Dispose of him by whatever means you want. I’m returning to the Alpha Chimera.”

 

Stiles glanced around as the front door opened, Corey emerging, rubbing sleep from his eyes. 

“What time is it?” He mumbled.

“It’s not too far off dawn.” Stiles replied, “You can go back to bed, if you want?”

“No, it’s fine, I, uh, I slept on Theo’s bed, if that’s alright?” Corey looked at him, “Um, Josh is on the spare, and Tracy has some sort of _nest_ in the master-bedroom.” He gave a nervous laugh, but Stiles just nodded.

“That’s fine.”

“Are you ok?” Corey sat down on the steps next to the Alpha Chimera.

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that? With Mason and all?”

“Oh, well, I suppose.” He sighed, picking at a loose thread in his sweater. “I mean, you’re working to get him back, so, I’m not too worried.”

“Right.” Stiles studied him for a moment. “And what if we’re too late? If he’s turned into the Beast already?”

“Um. If there’s nothing of my boy, of my friend,” Corey adjusted, swallowing hard, “then I guess we have no choice but to stop him.”

“Stop him,” Stiles repeated slowly, “What if I told you there was a way to honour Mason’s memory and help make everything better?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ve heard me a few times now, _the Chimera Emperor!_ What do you think that’s about?” Stiles waited, but Corey was silent. “Let me tell you then. I can see a world where the strong, chimeras, the supernatural, isn’t hidden away, isn’t fought over on lacrosse fields and in high school hallways. Instead, we will be free, open, honest about who we are and what we can do. There will be resistance, because there is always resistance to change, but with the power of the Beast behind me, only a fool would stand against us. It will be glorious, Corey, the willing turned into chimeras, the others into…citizens of our new utopia. It’s not about taking things, it’s about stopping things being taken from us. And we will accomplish all of this by harvesting the Beast’s power, forging it into a weapon and using it to change the world forever.”

Corey listened to Stiles as he spoke, _Ok, it sounds a little crazy, but are things really ok now? My Dad only stopped being a dick to Mom and me when Stiles showed him the truth. I mean, they still ignore me…_ “Where would I fit into all this?”

“I will require loyal chimeras to aid in ruling the world.” The Alpha Chimera replied, his tone even when Corey’s lips twitched. “Well, why stop with Beacon Hills? Theo will rule alongside me, of course. But there is no one who has shown me more loyalty than you, Corey. Rest assured, that will be rewarded.”

 _But probably not in the way I’d like._ He nodded, but frowned, glancing across the lawn. “Stiles? It’s them.”

The Alpha Chimera looked up as Scott and Liam stopped in front of the mountain ash barrier. “Curious. Let’s see what they want.”

 

Theo looked between the two groups, Stiles and Corey facing off against Scott and his Beta. He frowned, looking at his hands. _I can still pass the barrier, right?_ Theo vaulted the neighbour’s fence and circled around to the rear of his house, at least if he hit the barrier here, Scott and Liam wouldn’t notice it. He grimaced and walked forward, passing through the mountain ash line with no ill effects. “Ok, chimera still comes first.” 

Stiles glanced to his side as Theo joined them inside the invisible barrier. “Ah, good, glad you’re back. Were you successful?”

“Oh yeah!” Theo grinned at him. “I’ll show you later.”

 _No need to, I can already feel it! Yes, this will make up for losing Hayden._ Stiles thought, before nodding at Scott and Liam, “Sorry, what were you saying, Beta?”

Scott sighed and shook his head when Liam glared moodily at the grass at his feet. “We want your help, well, Liam wants your help, Stiles.”

“Haha,” Stiles laughed, echoed by his chimeras. “Why would you want my help?”

“Hayden already thinks I’m crazy just coming here.” Liam muttered, looking up at Stiles. “But you let her take my pain, sure, it was a punishment for leaving your pack and joining Scott’s, but it let me heal. You let me heal.” He glanced at Scott and then back to Stiles. “Plus, um, I heard what you said, before you left.”

“You heal fast.” Stiles muttered. _Not going to say it, though, are you?_ Scott was suspicious, looking between them. “Seeing the wind change, Liam? Do you want to join us?”

“What? No!” He shook his head furiously, “That wasn’t what I meant.”

“I know what you meant.” The Alpha Chimera shrugged. “So?”

“Hayden told us about the mask, Stiles.” Scott replied for his Beta, “The one from Eichen House. Did you put it on?”

“Not exactly. Josh had that honour, he’s still recovering.”

“What did you see? Mason?” Liam broke in. “C’mon Stiles, we both want the same thing!”

“Oh, I doubt that. I don’t think we’ve ever wanted the same thing, Liam.” Stiles replied sharply, the young werewolf averted his gaze and the Alpha Chimera looked at Scott. “I didn’t see Mason.”

"Then what? Nothing?"

"I wouldn't say nothing." Stiles glanced at Corey and Theo, and then back at Scott after each nodded. “Very well, the Dread Doctors have another lab, smaller, with a very particular focus. I won’t bore you with details, but the tracking skills of two werewolves would be useful, especially one who already has his best friend’s scent.”

“You’re not doing this because of us,” Scott frowned. “You could find him on your own.”

“We could, Theo is mostly werewolf after all.” _A lot more after tonight!_ Stiles smirked, “But this way we’re all together and if something should happen, we all get to see it!”

“Err,” Scott frowned, not understanding. 

“Don’t tax yourself, Scott.” The Alpha Chimera laughed shortly, “Theo and Corey will join us of course.”

“I don’t-”

“That’s not up for debate. Two of my pack will join me; these two.”

“Fine. But the other two stay here.” Scott demanded, waiting until Stiles nodded. “Liam, are you ok with this?”

“I need to find my best friend, Scott.”

“I guess I have to agree then.” The werewolf turned to go. “I’ll meet you, err, where?” 

“South gate, thirty minutes.” Stiles called, watching them go. “Come inside Theo, I want to know everything.”

 

“…and those were his last words,” Theo finished. “I’m telling you Stiles, I’ve never felt anything like it.”

“So, you’re an Alpha now?”

“Am I?” Theo let his eyes glow and saw Stiles’ reaction. “I got the eyes anyway. But I’m still mostly chimera, I’m not affected by mountain ash.”

“Good, good.” Stiles muttered, “We can’t afford any weakness, not when we’re so close. Can I…can I see what it’s like?”

“Of course, you are still the Chimera Emperor, or you will be shortly.” Theo gasped as Stiles’ eyes flared, it was more intense than before. 

The Alpha Chimera grinned, “Now this is power! Just wait until we add the Beast’s strength to Deucalion’s, truly no one will dare stand against us.” He looked down at his claws, growling as larger fangs filled his mouth. “How does it feel? Better?”

“I feel like an Alpha!” Theo replied, rolling the muscles in his neck. “Gather the pack.”

“Giving orders already?” Stiles laughed and released their connection, “You still get my eyes, by the way.”

“The Alpha Chimera is king among all chimeras, regardless of any changes.” Theo shrugged, “I can live with that. You’re the only one I’d ever kneel to, anyway.”

Stiles smirked and stood up. “Chimeras! Come to me!” He waited until Corey, Tracy, and Josh stood in front of him. “We know where the Dread Doctors are; Beacon Hills Preserve, and we are going after them. If we find Mason, we free him, if we find the Beast, we end his threat. Scott and Liam have agreed to join us, useful if it comes to fighting, but because he still thinks he has some sort of control over things, Scott has told me that I can only take Theo and Corey with me.” He paused, seeing them smirk at each other. “But…”

"Why should the Alpha Chimera care about what a werewolf wants?" Tracy finished for him.

Stiles smirked darkly and nodded. "Exactly. Follow at a distance, you'll know when the time comes, I will call upon you."

 

The sun was still below the horizon when the two groups approached the focus of the telluric currents. Stiles forged ahead with renewed zeal; soon Theo would steal the Beast’s power as he had done with Deucalion, soon, he could truly be called Chimera Emperor, and their conquest would begin. _Who knows where I’ll be in a week’s time? I wonder how long it will take them to recreate the throne room from my vision? Scott on his knees, Liam too, for a different reason, of course._ Stiles almost laughed aloud, but managed to turn it into a smirk. Scott was frowning at them, his attention fixed on Theo. “Is there a problem, Scott?” 

"Where is he?" Scott said.

"I thought we were looking for him," Theo replied, sharing a look with Corey.

"You know who I'm talking about."

"Deucalion." Stiles said, more of a statement than a question.

"You shouldn't trust him, Stiles. You know that, right?"

Stiles laughed, purple eyes flashing in the darkness. "You're the one who let him live, Scott, don't worry, I haven't made that mistake."

The werewolf stopped dead. "What?"

“You don’t see it? Don’t smell the difference?” The Alpha Chimera’s voice was quiet, dangerous. “Why don’t you show him, Theo?”

“As you command, Alpha.” Theo nodded and stepped forward, letting his eyes shift to red.

“No.” Scott backed off, “No, this is a trick.”

“No trick.” Theo grinned. “Deucalion is dead. You’re welcome.”

“Huh?”

“Come on, Scott, are you going to tell me that you were ok with him walking around out there?” Stiles frowned at him. “Don’t you remember them? Boyd and Erica? Sure, they were Derek’s pack, but-”

“I know who they are.” He snapped at Stiles.

“But you still forgot them, forgot how they died. Why they died.” 

“Oh, please, don’t try and make this about them,” The werewolf dismissed him, “This is about power, Stiles, and Theo just took a big helping of it.”

“Yeah,” Stiles nodded, “But here’s the thing, Scott, Theo has more power, and justice has finally been served. It’s a twofer! I did what you couldn’t.” 

"I'm not a murderer." Scott muttered, looking at the forest floor.

"No, but you still think you can get through this crisis, and all of them, without killing anyone."

Scott glared at Stiles. “I didn't say that."

"Scott McCall release the monster inside?" Stiles laughed shortly, "Now that is something I'd like to see."

Scott was about to reply when Liam stopped walking.

"We're close."

"You have the scent?" Theo asked.

"Where? Which way?" Stiles demanded, but Liam looked at him with suspicion. The Alpha Chimera glanced at his pack and then at Scott. "Well? You're not going to leave us behind out here. Besides, who's the one who can control chimeras, Scott?"

"And you're sure he's still a chimera?"

"Of course, we don't have much time," Stiles shrugged, his steady pulse giving nothing away. "We need to get to him before he turns again. After that, I'm not sure there'll be a Mason to save." He tilted his head when he heard Corey make a noise in his throat. "Well?"

"What about him?" Liam gestured at Theo. "We know about the claws now; you'll just try and kill him!"

"No," Stiles intervened, “Not Mason, the Beast. That is the power we want, the justice that we can serve its victims. You should support us in this.”

“It’s not-” Scott began, before Liam cut across him.

“What did you see? When you put on the mask? Tell me!”

“More than an empty lab,” Stiles looked at him. “A man, dying in the snow, pike through his heart. The Beast of Gévaudan. I’m sure Argent has told you the story.”

“He has, well, Lydia.” Scott replied, frowning. “How do you know about it?”

“Deucalion had his uses, limited as they were.” Theo barked a short laugh. “You need the Alpha Chimera, he is the only one that can stop the Beast, the only one who can save Mason.” 

“You’re right,” Liam sighed, "This way."

 

Theo pointed at an overgrown shack, vines covering it so completely that whatever shape it once was, it now looked like part of the forest. “In here. Can you hear the hum of the machines?”

“Yeah.” Scott replied shortly, “And one heart-beat.”

“Mason!” Corey cried out, rushing forward to open the door. Stiles reached out and grabbed the hood of his sweater, pulling him backwards.

“Are you crazy? The Dread Doctors are in there!”

“I know, but-”

“Wait until it’s clear.” Stiles growled. He gestured for Liam to open the door. "It could be a trap, it could be a lot of things." The werewolf pulled the rough wooden door open and walked in first. The Alpha Chimera gently pushed Corey forward. “Go on.” He followed the others inside, looking around carefully, the interior was concrete and pumps, thick piping disappearing into the ground, weeds and tree roots creeping across the walls. High powered beams of light shone in the darkness, causing momentary blindness until their eyes adjusted.

"Mason?" Liam whispered, going first down the stairs. Down deeper to where orange light illuminated the secondary lab. There was no operating table here, just a rough approximation of a lab. And Mason. The Soldier was floating in a tank of green fluid behind the chimera.

Stiles slowed, exchanging a glance with Theo as they saw a large injector driven into the back of Mason's skull, it looked archaic, and deadly. “Hmm.”

"Don't remove it," Theo warned. "Unless you want to cause him unimaginable pain."

"It's connected to him." Scott said, following the tube from the injector to the tank. "I'm not sure we should..." Liam crouched in front of Mason as Corey slipped by Stiles and Theo to check on his boyfriend, touching his shoulder carefully, and then raising his face gently with one hand. 

“Mason?”

"Corey! I can feel it!" Mason struggled to speak, his voice full of pain. "It's in my skull."

"Well, don't move." Corey replied, brow furrowed. “Stiles will figure it out, we’re all here.”

"Be careful," Liam warned him as the chimera reached out to touch the injector. "What are they doing to him?" He demanded of Theo.

"I don't know."

"Preparing him." Stiles replied absently. The Alpha Chimera had walked a little bit away, running his hands over rows of shiny steel tools. He looked back at them in the silence that followed. "It's time for his ascension, for the Beast to rise, and the final battle between him and the Hellhound. I saw more than just visions of glory when I connected to the Beast." The Alpha Chimera added. "But I'm not going to let that happen, we are not going to let that happen."

Scott stared at him for a long time before shaking his head, "We need to focus on getting Mason out of here."

"Alright." Liam nodded and reached for the injector as both Stiles and Scott yelled at him to stop. Mason screamed at the slightest touch. Liam pulled his hand back sharply and Corey glared at him. 

“What are you trying to do?”

“Sorry.”

Scott stood up as his phone rang. "Lydia? No, I can hear you, but it's not a good time."

Stiles frowned, catching Theo’s eye and nodded silently. The Alpha Chimera turned away and concentrated, Lydia's voice was indistinct, but he could hear her.

"Scott! It has to be now."

"Fine." The werewolf whispered.

“Mason is a genetic chimera, one of the ones we overlooked. He was born with twin embolization syndrome.”

"Huh?"

“It’s sometimes known as foetal resorption.”

“I don’t understand, Lydia.”

“Didn’t you take AP Bio?”

“I don’t think this was covered.” Scott glanced over to see Theo frowning at him strangely. “Um, can you give me the brief version?” 

"When he was in the womb, he had a brother or sister, but, well, he, uh, he absorbed them. He has two sets of DNA."

"Uhh." Scott grimaced, but tried to keep his face smooth when the others glanced at him. "So, um, how does this help us?"

"I'm not sure, I'm looking over hospital records with your Mom right now."

"Ok, keep me posted." Scott hung up quickly. 

"Problems?" Stiles asked him, his eyes normal.

"No, nothing." Scott lied.

"Hmm." The Alpha Chimera smirked and then looked behind him as the sounds of the Dread Doctors echoed in the confined space. “Ah.” He caught Theo’s attention again. “It’s them, the Doctors. Time’s up.”

"They wanted us here." Theo muttered, looking around as the Geneticist blocked the stairs, the Pathologist standing menacingly behind them, and out of the shadows the Surgeon walked slowly, gracefully, masked head drifting between Stiles and Mason.

"The Overmind, the Beast. My creations, my triumphs." The Dread Doctor stopped in front of them, looking at Theo. "And then there’s you, Theo. Theo Raeken: Failure. Theo Raeken."

"I'm, I'm not a failure." Theo stuttered. 

Stiles looked at him, for the first time seeing him falter, smelling his fear. “Theo?”

“I’m not a failure.”

Mason’s arm shot out and grabbed Corey’s hand, diverting his attention. The chimera struggled to get the words out. "Corey....Get out of here."

"I'm not leaving you!" He replied, shaking his head. _Not again._

 

“I’m not a failure!” Theo roared at the Doctor, ignoring the wetness on his cheeks, and the stares from Scott and Stiles.

"No," The Surgeon leaned on his cane. "Not a complete failure. We learned from you."

The Alpha Chimera looked between his boyfriend and the Dread Doctors boxing them in. Theo was clearly upset, much more visibly than Stiles had ever seen him. _But then, he’s lived with the Doctors since he was a kid; fucked-up childhood sure, but maybe he still looked to them for…_

"True evil only comes from corrupting something truly good." The Surgeon gestured at Mason, “That is how we have created the perfect killing machine, designed to resurrect the Beast. It is similar to what we needed for the Overmind.”

Stiles looked up as the Doctor pointed at him. “What do you mean?”

“We did not require a pure soul, for the Overmind thrives on those who have been touched by darkness, twisted, changed, but who still cling to their morality, until finally, it's cast off, in order to rise as something greater. That is your wish, is it not, Alpha Chimera?"

Stiles grinned, eyes blazing, "Yeah, that's right. But I don't need a kingmaker anymore!" He lunged forward, a furious Theo joining him as they smashed claws into the Surgeon. “Take the Pathologist!” The chimera nodded and turned his attention away from the Surgeon. Stiles took a step back, vanishing when the Geneticist moved to intercept him. 

Liam was watching from beside Mason, “Fuck this, I’m a better fighter anyway!”

“Liam, don’t!” Scott called out, running after his Beta.

Corey looked between Stiles and Mason. “I’ll stay here.”

“Go. Help them.” Mason croaked, weakly pushing him away.

The Pathologist raised his electro-magnetic hand weapon, aiming at Stiles, even as Theo repeatedly smashed his fist into the Doctor’s helmet with dull clangs. The energy struck Stiles’ torso, but he just laughed, grounding it harmlessly. “Thanks for the boost, I feel refreshed!” The Geneticist turned her attention back on him, but Corey stepped forward in time to turn him invisible. The Doctor rocked to a stop, before moving again, this time towards Theo. The Alpha Chimera reappeared with a growl and tore a ragged slash down her torso, letting Liam in to finish the job. Stiles stood back, opposite the Surgeon, both following the battle, watching the chimeras and werewolves fight the two Doctors. 

“This proves nothing.” The Surgeon said after another minute. “You don’t-”

“No.” Stiles frowned and interrupted the Surgeon. “Enough.” The Alpha Chimera moved between Theo and the Pathologist, pulling the chimeras behind him. "We haven't spoken in a while, but you know what's been going on. You can see how I’ve improved, how I can harness their abilities. Maybe I wasn't strong enough to control the Beast then, but I am now." Stiles grinned, his eyes blazing purple in the semi-darkness, like miniature suns, pulling on Tracy and Josh hiding outside the shack, on Corey a few feet from him, on the vast reservoir of anger and pain and fury that was Theo behind him. The Alpha Chimera laughed as the power rushed around him, claws lengthening, fangs springing from his jaws, venom dripping from his fingers, a wreath of electricity outlining his body. _This is better than the library!_

“Stiles! You said you weren’t going to bring Tracy and Josh!” Scott cried out over the rising hum and cracks as the static energy surrounding the Alpha Chimera arced outwards and anchored itself in the walls. 

Stiles turned and looked at him, “I lied.” _Chimeras, to me!_ Theo snarled and roared at the Surgeon, as Corey stood up again, moving away from Mason. Tracy and Josh were on the edge of his control. _Tracy, cover the exit. Josh, move closer, I’m losing you. Ah. Better. Hold position._ The Alpha Chimera took a step forward, the power boost making him grin darkly. “Now then. You can serve me, the Chimera Emperor, and make more chimeras for my army. Or you can die, here, now."

"Stiles!" Scott shouted at him, from where he and Liam had crouched beside Mason. "You can't take him on!"

The Alpha Chimera laughed and curled his hand into a fist, a crown of electricity dancing above his skin. "I'm not intending to take them on."

The Surgeon hesitated, glancing to one side. “What?”

"Scott!" Liam cried out, backing away from Mason, "His eyes!"

Theo followed the werewolf's finger and his eyes widened when he saw Mason's orbs flicker rapidly between Beast blue and Alpha Chimera purple. _No…He didn’t, he couldn’t…How?_

 

“Liam! Corey! Liam! Get out of here! I’m-Gah! Corey!” Mason screamed their names interchangeably as he slowly stood upright, his eyes switching too fast to keep track of. The Surgeon tilted his head on one side when Mason ripped the injector out of his neck. Scott and Liam scrambled backwards beside Corey and Theo. The Doctors were motionless, watching the inky shadows gather around Mason’s feet. Stiles grinned darkly as Mason stood fully upright, his screams fading.

"Transformation." The Surgeon said, voice tinged with awe. "Transformation without frequency."

"Your final success." The Alpha Chimera replied, "Whose eyes are those?" He pointed at the Beast, the werewolf's blue eyes flicked to a shimmering purple and stayed that way.

"Mason!" Liam cried out.

"That's not my name!" Mason growled before being consumed by the shadows, the Beast emerging with a howl. The monster stood there for a moment, before kneeling before Stiles. “Command me, Alpha.”

“You!” The Dread Doctor hissed at Stiles. "What have you done?"

"I wasn't certain, I thought all of the chimera had been burned away, but there was just enough left." The Alpha Chimera gestured at the three Doctors. "Kill them." He turned away as the Beast growled joyfully and jumped forward, ripping the Pathologist in half, the Geneticist was a twitching pile of blood and tubing on the floor. 

Theo looked at Stiles and then at the Beast, before roaring at it and leaping forward. The Beast backhanded him like he was an irritating fly and Theo smashed backwards into the support pillar, groaning.

"Success." The Surgeon whispered as the Beast's claws ploughed into his stomach. The Beast carried the Doctor up the stairs with him into the foggy morning air. Stiles glanced at Theo, his eyes flaring as he forced the chimera to stand and walk after them. Corey stayed to help Theo move normally and Stiles shrugged, eagerly climbing to the surface to watch his Beast. The Surgeon had been dumped on the forest floor, bleeding slowly. 

Stiles glanced back at Theo, “You should have waited for my command, it is not a chimera any longer, the next time it changes to a human, I will no longer control it.”

“I’m sorry.” Theo managed, clutching his chest. “What’s on fire?”

“No!” Stiles whirled around to see a burning Parrish sprint through the trees and launch a flurry of attacks on the Beast. The Hellhound went flying backwards as the monstrous werewolf punched him. Stiles rushed forward as the Beast raised its arm, ready to finish Parrish off. The Alpha Chimera’s eyes flashed and the werewolf paused mid-swing.

"You will obey me! You will submit! You-"

"You do not control me." The Beast growled, lowering his head until it was even with Stiles. The monster's eyes shifted back to blazing white-blue and Stiles stepped backwards, going invisible. He reached out and grabbed Corey and Theo's hands, all three disappearing.

 

Stiles released their hands as they reached the other side of the clearing, the arrival of the Argents only making things worse. “Damn it!” He growled. “We almost had it, almost had everything!” 

“Stiles, it’s ok.” Corey tried to calm him down, but the Alpha Chimer just scowled.

“Go and check on the Beast. That sounded like heavy firepower. Stay invisible.”

“As you command, Alpha.” He muttered and vanished from sight.

“What?” Stiles asked sharply, noticing Theo was glaring at him. 

“What the hell was that? I thought you were making all that ‘he’s still a chimera’ bullshit up for Scott and Liam!”

"What? The control? It was momentary, I didn't even know about it until I tried."

"I don't like it Stiles, you're keeping secrets from me!" Theo glared at him, more upset than he was earlier. "First, Corey takes the Beast on your orders and now you can control it? What the fuck?"

"Could control it." Stiles corrected calmly. "I didn't know it was going to happen, Theo, I only felt it when I went to full power back there. I tried to connect with Mason earlier, I thought, maybe, but I wasn’t sure. Maybe the Beast was in a vulnerable state, human to werewolf, connected to the Soldier. Maybe the Dread Doctors wanted that, maybe that was the piece they've been missing the whole time? My power bootstraps the werewolf into his final form?"

"You're just speculating." Theo replied moodily, looking at the ground.

"Theo." Stiles waited until his boyfriend looked at him. "You're not a failure. You’re a goddamn Alpha!"

There was a silence that stretched between them until the bushes rustled and Corey emerged, panting. "It's...Mason...He's-"

"Take your time."

Corey nodded at Stiles and sucked in air greedily. "The Beast turned back, it's not Mason, it’s some other guy."

"Le Bête de Gévaudan." Theo whispered, looking at Stiles. "So, what now?"

"Corey?" The Alpha Chimera looked at him. "Mason is gone."

"I know." The chimera looked at them, face hard, his eyes flicked to Theo. "Steal his power, and make our Alpha an Emperor!"


	20. Realizing Glory

Corey emerged from thin air in front of him and dropped the bag at his feet. Stiles nodded his thanks and reached down to fish out his keys. “Many cops in there?”

“Yeah, there are ten or twelve in the hallway, near the classrooms, and more out in the lacrosse field.” Corey replied, glancing around. “Parking lot has only one though: Strauss.”

“Excellent.” Stiles grinned, and picked up his bag, handing it back to Corey. “Carry this. C’mon.”

“What, we’re just going walk up to him?”

“Trust me, Strauss is on our side.” The Alpha Chimera rounded the corner and stopped dead, reaching out to grab Corey’s arm. They both vanished and Mrs. Flemming passed them by, walking to her car. The Math teacher paused and looked around as though something had spooked her. _Fear, delicious fear! Guess Tracy did her job well enough. Come on, now, move along._ Her car pulled out of the lot and Stiles released Corey, reappearing. “Close.”

“We could’ve taken her.” He muttered.

“Yeah, but there was no need,” Stiles shrugged, “Besides, I don’t want to draw attention just yet. Later, when Theo has the Beast’s power, then we tell everyone, and watch them fall to their knees before us.”

“I’m liking this more and more.” Corey grinned, glancing slyly at Stiles. “Think of all those cute boys!”

The Alpha Chimera laughed, and pointed at the blond-haired officer. “There’s Strauss.”

He was standing near the main entrance and Stiles indicated for him to follow them into the parking lot. “Deputy.”

“Stiles, I’m glad you’re alright.” Strauss glanced at Corey. “Is everything ok?”

“Everything is fine.” Stiles shrugged, and nodded at his nearby Jeep. “Has anyone touched Roscoe?”

“No, uh, I kept an eye on it like you asked. But, um...”

“Go on.”

“Well, your Dad is freaking out, and no one seems to know what’s going on. More reinforcements are arriving this evening from upstate, but I don’t think anyone really thinks more guns are going to solve the problem. I mean, we all saw the claw marks in the doors at the school. Sure as hell ain’t a mountain lion.” Strauss looked at him for an answer.

“Tonight will be too late, the Beast will be dead, and something…greater will have taken its place.” Stiles replied, “My Dad is ok, right? It was unfortunate that he got in the way.”

“Yeah, uh, he explained that something, uh, an animal-”

“A Kanima, Tracy, you met her, she incapacitated him briefly, one of her abilities: venom. It was necessary or more people would have died.” Stiles explained, but Strauss didn’t seem relieved. “What is it?”

“Well, it, um, just,” He hesitated again, before continuing, “The Sheriff has told all the Deputies that you’ve been kidnapped, by Theo Raeken, and they’re going to raid his house, smash the door down, execute a search warrant, everything.”

“Shit.” Stiles muttered. “Ok, well, they don’t know about the Doctors’ lab, you didn’t tell them, right?”

“What? Of course, not!” Strauss shook his head as Stiles directed Corey to get into his Jeep. “Is there anything else you need from me?”

“Time, but failing that I’ll take information. Anything happens, you let me know.” The Alpha Chimera’s eyes flared purple and he looked at the Deputy, “Tonight everything will change, the veil will fall away, and the whole world will know the truth.”

“What will that get you? Won’t it just bring more trouble?”

“My power will eclipse anything they can throw at me.” Stiles grinned wider, “I will remember your role in ensuring our ascendance, Strauss. You will be rewarded.”

“What is it I’ve heard the other chimeras say to you? Uh, oh yeah, as you command, Alpha.”

The Alpha Chimera laughed and smirked. “You won’t be the last human to say that to me!” He climbed inside as Strauss walked away, reaching up to his radio as it squawked. 

“Is he radioing the Sheriff?” Corey asked suspiciously, glancing at the officer and then back at Stiles.

“Probably just checking in, he’s not meant to have left his post.” Stiles reached over to brace himself against Corey’s headrest as he backed out, not missing the way the chimera’s eyes lingered on his bare skin. “Call Theo, and check that Tracy and Josh are with him, Strauss didn’t say when the raid would be, so get them to grab the mask and whatever else they need.”

“Ok,” Corey nodded and pulled out his phone. “Are we meeting them at the lab?”

“No, tell them to come to the Southern Access Road of the Preserve, it’s never used, and I’d like the open air.” He glanced at Corey, “We’ll be able to hear and see anyone else coming a mile away.” Stiles shifted into a higher gear as he sped through the school gates.

 

Theo raised his hand in greeting as Stiles and Corey pulled up, slowing as his tires struggled for grip on the muddy surface of the track. Josh and Tracy flanked him, leaning against the hood of his truck. “Alpha Chimera.”

“Alpha werewolf.” Stiles returned with a twist of his lips, acknowledging his boyfriend’s new status. “Any trouble?”

“It was close, I managed to grab to mask before they broke down the door, escaped through the rear window.” Theo shrugged. “A Deputy tried to stop me, don’t worry, he’s alive, probably a broken arm, though.”

“Irrelevant.” Stiles glanced around, making sure they were alone. “Any more important news?”

Tracy stepped forward, “Alpha, I saw Scott McCall and the Beta, Liam, taking the Doctor away.”

“The Surgeon?” He glanced at Theo, waiting for his nod, before looking back at Tracy. “You followed them, yes?”

“Of course, Alpha.” She bowed her head deferentially. “They took him to the Animal Clinic where Scott works.”

“Deaton.” Stiles muttered, “They must be trying to save him, or get information.”

“The Beast gutted him,” Corey said, “We were there, he has to be dead.”

“The Surgeon is tougher than you think.” Theo replied, shaking his head, “We need his knowledge, Stiles, it was his genius that created the chimeras in the first place. I have his notes, but there’s still things I don’t understand; the frequencies, splicing advanced species together.”

“I will need more chimeras, not merely to replace Hayden, but to create a larger pack, an army.” He looked at Corey, Josh, and Tracy. “And you will be my generals, together we will destroy anything and anyone who dares to challenge us. Once Theo steals the power of le Bête de Gévaudan, there won’t be a werewolf or a Hunter who can stop us, or the empire that will rise in my glory! We shall spread chimeras across the globe, and usher in a new era of greatness!” The Alpha Chimera raised his hands in triumph.

They grinned at each other, replying in unison, “As you command, Alpha!”

“Good.” The Alpha Chimera nodded, “Any information on the Beast itself?”

“Last I heard, both the Argents and Parrish had pursued it to a dead end. The Hellhound lost the scent.” Theo added, gesturing at Josh. “He tracked them to about two miles from here.”

“I lost them after that, Alpha, the Hunters said that they would trap it, instead of trying to hunt it down.”

“Hmm. Forget about them for now,” Stiles replied, “We’ll secure the Surgeon before Scott can get anything out of him.”

“Do you want to call him?” Theo asked, moving forward, “Try and set up some sort of trade?”

“The time for deal-making is over. We will take what we need!” The Alpha Chimera laughed, and took out a small box from his jacket pocket. “Mountain ash, enough to protect or attack, I’ve been stocking up, but unfortunately this is all I have on me. If Scott proves uncooperative…well, this will even the odds.”

Theo grinned at that, flicking out his claws. “I think the odds are already in our favour. It’ll be dusk soon, are you ready?”

 

Stiles signalled for them to pull in and Theo’s truck slowed to a crawl. “Stop here.”

“What is it?” The chimera looked at him. 

“We’ll go on foot, quieter.” Stiles opened the door and the rest of the pack following suit, Josh jumping out of the back of the truck. The Animal Clinic was visible through the trees that surrounded the building. The Alpha Chimera’s head shot up suddenly. “Hayden.” He growled. “She’s here, Liam too.”

Theo nodded and waited for Stiles to walk in front of him, frowning as a pain lanced through his temples. “The Surgeon is inside, it’s like, I can feel his frequency cutting through me. He’s badly injured though. We need to hurry.”

“And now we have leverage.” Stiles grinned darkly, eyes blazing as he clenched his raised fist. Theo looked up, watching as Hayden pushed Liam away from her and walked stiffly over to them, her eyes were panicked and her scent shifted to terror, mouth moving, but words held hostage by the Alpha Chimera. “Hello, Hayden, didn’t expect to see you here, but then Liam is hard to resist, isn’t he?” He laughed and pushed the chimera over to Tracy. “Get a good grip, Tracy, I don’t want her slipping away. Yes, just like that.” Stiles nodded approvingly as the chimera’s claws pushed against Hayden’s neck, not quite drawing blood. Liam came closer, brows furrowed and glanced between Hayden and Stiles, his eyes lingering on the Alpha Chimera as Stiles smirked at him.

“Scott!” He called out behind him, “Scott, get out here!”

“I’m coming, we’ve got-” The werewolf pushed open the door, grumbling. He stopped dead as he took in the scene. “Oh.”

“Oh, indeed!” Theo laughed, “Looks we have something you want.”

“And you have something we need.” Stiles finished, moving forward with Theo, his eyes blazing in the darkness. “Give us the Surgeon and I’ll give Hayden back to you, for now, she is still a chimera, my chimera, no matter how unwilling.” The Alpha Chimera smirked and let his eyes pulse once, five sets echoing his power. “Feels good, having a full pack, Deucalion’s power adds a certain edge, but I need my chimeras.”

“What do you want?” Liam demanded, glaring at Tracy.

“The Surgeon, like I said.”

“He’s not in a position to go anywhere.” Scott cut in, before Liam could reply. “You can’t have him.”

“Scott, really?” Theo exchanged a grin with Stiles, “You let Hayden die once before, are you really going to do that again?”

“You just said that you need a fifth chimera, you won’t kill her.” Scott retorted.

“Ah, but you see Scott, whether or not I kill Hayden, we will get the Surgeon, and Theo here, well, he already has most of their secrets.” Stiles spread his hands out, “There will be more chimeras, so either we can relive the failures the Dread Doctors went through; how many more teenagers do you want to die? Or you give us what we need and it’s nothing but success!” Scott was looking at him like he didn’t even recognise him and Stiles laughed shortly, adding, “Oh, and you can have Hayden back, of course. I’ll even give her to you in one piece.”

“He’s too badly injured to move again.”

“All I need are his secrets,” Stiles shrugged, “You can stay, hear them too, if you want.” _Before I have my chimeras subdue you and your Beta. You’re in my endgame now! I will suffer no opposition to my empire, and once Theo steals the Beast’s power, you cannot hope to stand against me!_ He offered Scott a smile, almost looking like his old self. The werewolf hesitated, glancing at Liam, the Beta nodding furiously.

“You better come inside, see what’s left of the Doctor for yourself.”

 

Stiles followed Scott and Liam into the clinic, his chimeras crowding the room after him. Theo moved closer to the metal table where the Doctor lay, studying him closely. _Strange how he doesn’t look so intimidating now. He looks almost…_ He refused to let the thought finish and glanced at the vet. “Have you done anything to him?”

“Nothing.” Deaton glanced at Stiles, after taking in Hayden in Tracy’s grasp. “Stiles, what are you doing?”

“I want his knowledge, how he did it, the mercury, the chimeras, the success.” He glanced at Scott and Liam, “Hayden is my chimera, but Liam’s girlfriend, we’re going to make a trade, I think.” Stiles paused, recalling what he just said, “Actually, I’m just going to take the knowledge, and you can’t really stop me. Theo’s an Alpha now, he can mind-rape just as well as you, Scott!”

“Please, Stiles, this isn’t you, I-”

“Shut up!” The Alpha Chimera yelled suddenly, “I have released all those weak human emotions that have held me back for too long. I am the Alpha Chimera!” _After tonight, I will be your new Emperor and you will all kneel to me!_ He smirked and turned to Scott, “Did you know, Peter once offered me the bite? Said it could have been me he had bitten that night, I wonder, where would we be now, Scott, if I had said yes?”

“Not here.” He muttered.

“Perhaps,” Stiles looked back at the Surgeon’s immobile form, speaking calmly. “But we are. Now, I have Hayden, and Tracy will decapitate her, should I command it, so give me what I want. Or her blood will add a certain shade to the walls.”

“It’s not that simple.” Deaton gestured at the Doctor. “The Beast stabbed him under his ribcage, lacerated his organs: he should already be dead.”

"Can you keep him alive?" Scott asked.

"I'm not sure that he technically is alive." Deaton replied, examining the Surgeon’s mask.

"Screw keeping him alive, how do we get him to talk?" Liam muttered angrily.

“Torture, obviously.” Stiles glanced at the two werewolves, brow arched. “Don’t you agree?”

“No, we’re not-”

“Of course, you’re not going to do it.” The Alpha Chimera cut in, chuckling darkly. “I have a chimera for that. Theo!”

Theo wetted his lips, looking from the Surgeon to Stiles. This should be easy, he’s never had any qualms about cutting into people, making them bleed, spill the secrets to him, even the ones no one ever spoke about, but something was holding him back, it wasn’t that he thought this was wrong, more that it was wrong to do it to the Surgeon. He moistened his lips uneasily. A flood of images, memories, crashed through his mind. He was nine, the Surgeon’s hand on his shoulder, reassuring grip, telling him _You will be our greatest success!_ Then, he was eleven, a new town, standing in front of _Der Soldat_ looking up at the floating monster, the Surgeon appearing, telling him about the Nazi werewolf, a rare moment of intimacy. He was sixteen, another failure pulled from the Surgeon’s table, the Pathologist cutting her open to see where they had gone wrong, the Geneticist disappearing into the shadows, leaving Theo alone with the Surgeon; the Doctor regarding him, warmth in his voice as he told Theo again that he was their success, their model chimera, their perfect…Theo pulled his hand back and glanced at Stiles, hesitating, “I…”

“Fine.” Stiles glared at him. His claws flicked out and Liam shot Scott a worried glance. “I’ll do it myself.”

“Wait!” Theo barked, reaching out a hand to grab his boyfriend’s shoulder. “I hear something.” The chimera frowned as a voice other than his own whispered in his mind. It was faint, barely audible, but he could hear it. _Come. Come to me. To me._ Theo looked at Stiles, shaking his head slowly. Both Scott and Liam were standing still, heads tilted on side, as though listening. 

Liam looked at Scott, "Do you hear that?" The werewolf didn’t reply, didn’t acknowledge his Beta’s question. “Scott, I can hear something!”

“The Beast.” Theo said flatly, “That’s his voice, his human voice, in your mind, in mine. He’s calling for his werewolves.”

Deaton frowned at him, "You're just a chimera. How can you-"

"Not just." Theo let his eyes turn red, raising his hand and letting his talons slide out over his claws. “I have the power of an Alpha now.”

Deaton’s response cut off when the Surgeon sat upright suddenly, emitting a loud frequency that shook the building violently. They were forced to cover their ears as the Doctor stood and pushed off the table, a wall of sound smashing into them. Tracy pushed Hayden to the ground roughly and covered her own ears, yelping in pain. Liam snarled and leapt upwards, trying to intercept the Doctor. Scott shouted for him to stop, a warning lost in the noise of the attack. The Surgeon paused, one hand covering his wounds, the other reaching out, a cone of electro-magnetic energy engulfing the werewolf, sending him flying backwards. Theo reached out and grabbed Stiles, pulling him clear as the metal fixtures were ripped from the room, clattering in a heap around the doors when the Surgeon staggered outside. 

Scott and Liam ran forward to remove them, but Deaton shouted out, “No! They’re electrified.” The werewolves skidded and stepped backwards, seeing a cascade of sparks shower down from overhead. 

Stiles gestured for Josh to join him, and pushed past Liam, “Move aside.” He reached out a hand, grasping a table leg. Electricity arced upwards and sunk into his skin, Stiles grinned and looked back at Scott, his purple eyes flaring as he and Josh sucked up the free energy.

Theo frowned, moving closer to Stiles, muttering, “I can hear them; the Beast and the Surgeon.”

The Alpha Chimera nodded, tilting his head. “Yeah, looks like they know each other a lot better than we thought: Sebastien Valet is the Beast, and the Surgeon; his friend Marcel.”

“What? But-”

Stiles held up a finger to stop Theo from speaking. “Shush, the Beast is talking.” Theo blinked in surprise, but stayed quiet.

"…Marcel. If this what immortality looks like, I think you might have been misled."

"For you. All for you." The Surgeon gasped.

"What did you do with it, Marcel? Where is the pike?"

"The Argents. The...Argents."

"The cane." Scott whispered, seeming not to realise he had spoken aloud. 

Stiles darted a look at him, frowning, then at Liam, the Beta muttering, "They took it. They took the cane."

Theo released a heavy sigh as he heard the last Dread Doctor slump to one side, dead. He avoided Stiles’ hard eyes, staring at the floor. “I can’t believe it.”

“What?”

“That…that everything was for Sebastien, bringing him back. I don’t…I wanted it to be something else, any other reason, not _this_.” He muttered, finally looking up at Stiles, his expression upset. “I thought I was special, that I was their breakthrough after millennia, not centuries, of research, that their mythology stretched further back. Instead, it was all to bring back a werewolf who killed him?”

“Theo, I need you, and you are special.” Stiles released the table leg and grasped his boyfriend’s shoulder. “Bury it, move on, and remember that together we are about to claim greatness!”

Josh grunted as he pushed the wreckage to one side, “We can leave, Alpha.”

“Good, go!” The Alpha Chimera pointed, and Tracy and Corey followed Josh outside. Theo waited for Stiles in the doorway. 

Hayden was glaring at Stiles, yellow eyes glowing in the darkness, claws at the ready. He smirked at her, _Go on, Hayden, do your worst._ Stiles almost laughed when she charged him, the Alpha Chimera’s eyes flared and she stopped mid-stride. “Really? Again? Don’t you know that you can’t attack me?!” He looked at his claws as an idea crossed his mind. “I could kill you, but wouldn’t it be more fun to watch you kill yourself?” Stiles glanced at Scott’s shocked expression and nodded. Hayden’s hand jerked closer to her neck.

“No!” Liam cried out, moving forward. “Please, don’t.”

“How much do you love her?” The Alpha Chimera moistened his lips and looked him up and down, tilting his head suggestively. His hand paused over his neck, Hayden mirroring his posture. “What would you be willing to do, werewolf?”

“Anything.” Liam got down on his knees, lowering his head to the ground in submission. “Just please, give me Hayden back.”

“I guess you really do love her, then.” Stiles looked back at Theo, and grinned. “Have her, but remember, chimera, you still belong to me!” He pushed Hayden forward roughly and followed Theo out the door. Scott attempted to follow them, but Stiles turned, walking backwards and electrified the wall, the werewolf jumping away with a grunt. “Farewell, Scott.” Stiles called out, mockingly.

 

Theo looked up as Stiles and Corey approached him, closing one of the Surgeon’s smaller notebooks and putting it back into pocket. “I’m fine.” He replied gruffly to their unasked questions, the younger chimera smiling slightly at him. “We lost the Surgeon, he could’ve been useful.”

“It was a distraction, necessary, but now we move onto the real plan.” Stiles said, looking at them. “The Beast; his power is what we need.”

“We still have to find him; we’ve got the Hellhound, the Argents, Scott and his pack, they’re all after him.” Corey said, sighing. “What do we do?”

Stiles was silent for a moment and then looked up. “Lydia called Scott to tell him that Mason had a ‘vanishing twin,’ they think that this is important. Theo?”

“Well, that would make him a genetic chimera,” Theo nodded, “Two sets of DNA that he probably isn’t aware of having.”

“Wait,” Corey frowned, “Are you saying that his 'twin' didn't completely disappear?"

"Exactly," Theo muttered. He suddenly grinned at them. "Don't you see? The DNA was still there. So, therefore the DNA of Mason could still be inside Sebastien as well. In fact, it has to be.” Corey and Stiles were staring at him, and Theo sighed, “Ok, look, in order for Stiles to have maintained the connection as long as he did, there must be some part of Mason left, buried deep beneath the surface. A part of the chimera that created the connection, and maybe it got buried deeper when Sebastien returned to his human form. But Mason could still be in there.” 

“There’s a myth, part of the werewolf lore, that calling a werewolf by its given name will turn him back into a man.” Stiles said excitedly, the pieces finally falling into place. “That’s what Valack was talking about, what he wanted Lydia for. And overcharging her voice was designed to give her enough power to scream Mason’s name into the Beast, freeing him, and destroying the Beast at the same time.”

“Great,” Theo shrugged. “But that won’t help us, why should we care?”

“Because Scott will.” The Alpha Chimera snorted angrily. “He has Deaton, and Lydia, it’ll take them a little longer to put the pieces together, but, they’ll get there. We may not be able to stop Scott from bringing Mason back.” He glanced at Corey, but the chimera just looked at him, waiting his command. “But we can use this to our advantage. If we can…I hear footsteps. Hayden, again.” He growled, fangs sliding out easily. 

“Go,” Corey urged him, “I’ll stay behind, see what she wants.”

“Very well.” Stiles nodded and gestured for the rest of the pack to follow him. Corey watched them leave and then he stood up, shuffling back to the wall, vanishing from view. He didn’t even have to think about it anymore, it just happened as naturally as breathing. The door to the lab was pushed open forcefully and Corey took a deep breath when he saw the Beast stalk forward, the shadows pulling back and Sebastien revealed. Hayden was thrust in front of him and she fell to the floor gasping. 

"I brought you here like you wanted, how about letting me go now?" She asked, but the Beast ignored her, eyes searching the room.

Corey hugged the wall and followed the monstrous werewolf as he trashed the lab, pulling out drawers and dumping their contents, smashing glass cabinets, upending trays of meticulously ordered surgical equipment. “Where is it?!” He roared, turning on his heel and marching over to where Hayden cowered. Corey watched as Sebastien paused, looking the fresco. The werewolf turned, seeming to forget why he was there, instead traced his hand over the image of the Hellhound.

"This demon on the left, what is it?" 

Hayden stood up, looking over to where Deucalion had been kept, a spare injection of Kanima venom lying nearby. Corey watched with interest as she picked it up, hiding the syringe behind her back, and moving closer to the werewolf. _Oh, you’re not serious? Have you no survival instinct?_

"It's called a hellhound."

Sebastien closed his eyes, as though thinking, then muttered, "Parrish." He smiled. "His name is Parrish, isn't it? The Argents will try and put the pike in his hands." Hayden chose that moment to strike, but Sebastien was quicker and he pulled the syringe from her hands. "When did young people become so confident?" He growled as he ground her wrist bones together and then thrust his claws into her stomach. Hayden cried out and collapsed, the werewolf dismissing her threat with a grunt. 

Corey watched her gasp, blood spilling over her hands, and she began to crawl away, _Huh, Stiles would’ve done much worse. I wonder will he be disappointed that he doesn’t get to punish you for your treachery? Oh, I better follow that werewolf._ The chimera maintained his invisibility and crept behind Sebastien as he approached a silver rod, ripping it out of the wall and breaking it in two with a snarl. _He doesn’t seem to like that sound._

 

Theo glanced at Stiles. “I hear something, it’s sharp, headache inducing. Over here.” The Alpha Chimera followed him, but Theo winced, pointing at the blinking light. “There.”

“It’s a sonic emitter,” Stiles explained. “Hunters use them to force werewolves into the places they want them. Clever.” He pulled it out of the wall, and turned it off, tossing the device to Theo. Stiles walked back to where Tracy and Josh were waiting, the intersection of half a dozen tunnels. He looked at them, “The Argents are attempting to drive the Beast into a trap. I think I know where, but I need you to circle around and meet me and Theo at the exit that brings you up into the Preserve. Do you know where I’m talking about?”

“Yeah, it’s the most isolated part of the network.” Tracy nodded. 

“Good. If you find the Beast, or the Argents, hang back, attack only if you need to defend yourselves.” He glanced at Josh. “I’ll be needing all your power for the battle ahead.”

“I understand, Alpha.”

“Go then.”

“Stiles?” Theo walked up behind him, “Text from Strauss; Sheriff’s station was attacked, no one dead, a few injured, um, your Dad is fine. But Lydia’s been stabbed.”

“Is she alive?” He asked emotionlessly.

“Yeah, neck though, he’s not sure if she can speak, make gurgling noises maybe.”

“Good, our plan won’t be affected.” He nodded to himself, but Theo frowned, not understanding.

“Wait, he said she’s been injured, gone to the ER. Won’t that stop Scott from using her voice?”

“You don’t know Scott like I do.” Stiles replied darkly.

 

Corey cursed under his breath, he didn’t know how it had happened, but he had lost the Beast. _All these tunnels look the same! Oh, shit, wait, that’s, oh god, that’s the Hellhound._ He swallowed nervously, remembering his last encounter with Parrish; the wounds had healed completely by now, but he moved closer to the Hellhound, hoping to slip by. Corey stopped in the middle of the passageway when Chris Argent emerged from one of the tunnels, panting.

“Just got out of there, last one placed.”

Parrish was looking at his phone, “Lydia’s been hurt!” He looked up at Chris, “Badly, Scott says she can barely speak. I have to-”

"It doesn't change anything," The Hunter cut him off, glancing down the passageway as Sebastien ripped another emitter from the wall, hearing him shift into the Beast with a roar. 

"What if she's dying?"

"If we don't stop Sebastien, she will die. He's not just coming for the pike, he's coming for anything that stands in his way. Right now, that's all of us."

The Beast roared again, and Corey frowned in confusion as Argent put down his gun.

"What are you doing?" Parrish asked.

"You saved my life once, now I'm going to save yours."

"Not sure I'm getting the strategy here."

"You're the strategy, Parrish, you're the one in the fresco. Put there as a reminder that the Beast isn't unstoppable. Whoever painted it, they didn't see a guy with a gun facing down the Beast, they saw you. They saw a Hellhound." Argent reassured him.

Corey glanced between them as his phone vibrated against his leg. He pulled it out, they were too busy staring down the tunnel to notice the flicker in the air behind them. _Come back, Stiles will guide you to him when you’re near. T._ Corey nodded to himself, about to type a reply when another roar echoed up the passageway, much closer this time. The chimera watched as Parrish ignited, the hoodie and shorts that he had been wearing burning away into nothingness. He darted past them and followed the tunnel along until he felt Stiles pulling his feet another way. 

 

Theo smiled a little as he watched Stiles’ eyes pulse purple, knowing that he was guiding Corey to them. _The Alpha Chimera’s power knows no limits, or at least, it soon it won't._ He looked up as Corey skidded to a halt in front of them, slipping in the pool of water on the concrete floor. Theo reached out a hand to steady him, the younger chimera gripping his arm gratefully.

“What news?” Stiles said, turning to look at them, his eyes now a steady bright purple.

“The Beast had Hayden, he was looking for something, probably the cane, talked about how the Argents would put it in Parrish’s hands. And he knows things, things that Mason would know. That means Mason is still in there, right?”

“It would suggest that, yeah.” Theo nodded. “Anything else?”

“He stabbed Hayden, she’s still alive, I think.”

“Yes,” The Alpha Chimera nodded slowly, “I can feel her, on the edge of my range, she’s dying. But such is the fate of those that betray me.”

“Glory to the Chimera Emperor.” Corey muttered, and then blinked, unsure why he had said that. “Uh, I mean, I found Parrish and Argent, they’re planning some sort of trap. Oh, and he mentioned that Lydia got hurt.”

“We know: Strauss.” Theo explained, “Lydia is hurt pretty bad, but Stiles seems to think that she’ll still save the day?”

“Of course, Scott will do whatever it takes to save an innocent, even if that puts other people in danger.” The Alpha Chimera laughed shortly. “He never sees the irony in that.”

“We will need to control Lydia to time the attack just right, make the Beast vulnerable enough so I can steal his power.” He glanced at Corey, “Hey, you might get Mason back after all.”

“Oh. Great.” Corey replied stiffly.

 _Or maybe you don’t want him back? Haha, becoming more like us, eh, Corey?_ Theo grinned and looked at Stiles, seeing his expression reflected in the Alpha Chimera’s eyes. “So, we need to grab Lydia before she gets to Parrish and the Beast. _We_ need a trap.”

“I know. Text Tracy and Josh, tell them to hurry up, and meet us by the south entrance. All this water…”

“I like where this is going.” Theo smirked, adding to Corey, “Werewolves are weak to electricity.”

“And water conducts electricity.” The younger chimera finished, nodding. 

“Everyone is coming for Sebastien, and with the Hunters herding him towards the Preserve, this is the only exit they can come in by.” He looked at Theo and Corey, grinning widely. “Can you feel it? Almost there. Now is the hour of our victory!”

 

His chimeras were close now, close enough to tap directly into their power and take it for himself, his arms outstretched. The Alpha Chimera smirked as it rushed through him, energising every fibre of his being, strength flooding his arms and legs, claws lengthening and morphing between werewolf and Kanima. The air around him crackled as tendrils of electricity wrapped across his torso, his eyes a darker purple than before. _Every time I do this I feel stronger, more powerful, and with the strength of the Beast at my fingertips, nothing will stand in my way!_ He tilted his head, hearing footsteps echoing off the concrete walls, three heart-beats, the scent of werewolves. Stiles knelt and held his hand above the water, electricity dancing across his skin, waiting until Lydia rounded the corner. He plunged his hand in and electricity arced across the pool towards the Banshee. 

Liam rushed forward, throwing her out of the way. "Lydia! Get out of the water!" He managed to get the Banshee onto a dry part of the tunnel before the wave of electricity hit him and Scott, pushing them backwards.

"Well, two out of three isn't bad." Stiles drawled, his chimera pack moving in behind him. He nodded at Lydia. "Theo?"

“Got it.” The chimera darted forward and grabbed Lydia, avoiding her throat, his claws pressed tightly under her rib cage, whispering in her ear as she took a deep breath. “Go ahead, scream, it’ll be the last thing you ever do! There’s no Hellhound to save you now. I will gut you!” A monstrous roar echoed down the tunnels and the Alpha Chimera gestured for them to leave, Theo forcing the unwilling teenager forward.

Stiles had just moved clear when orange light filled the passageway behind him; the Beast thrust outwards by Parrish. The Hellhound immediately attacked the werewolf again with a feral roar, the two creatures battling it out in the night air. Theo looked at the edges of the clearing and called out to him. “You were right; there’s a circle of sonic emitters around us.”

“Excellent!” The Alpha Chimera grinned. “This time, the Beast will not escape us.”

 

Stiles stood by and watched as the Hellhound and the Beast fought viciously with each other, enjoying the spectacle. _Now I understand why the Dread Doctors wanted to see this; it’s practically a sport!_ He winced when Sebastien delivered a brutal uppercut, blood spurting upwards, slicing Parrish from naval to chin, the Hellhound was distracted momentarily by Lydia struggling against Theo’s grip. Stiles glanced behind him as Scott and Liam spilled out of the tunnels, but he didn’t see the Argents or the cane with them, and nodded at Theo. “It is time. Release her, and be ready.”

“As you command, Alpha.” 

Theo pushed Lydia forward, into the path of the werewolf. Parrish was still down, flames burning on his body, and Stiles watched as she walked past him, her heart racing. Another glance at Theo and the Alpha Chimera took a deep breath. "Alright, Lydia, it's time."

She glanced at Scott, the werewolf nodded reluctantly, and Stiles smiled, hearing her speak. “Mason.”

"I think you're going to have to say it a little louder." Kira yelled at her, “Lydia!”

Stiles frowned, quickly turning to look at the Kitsune, _You…Where have…I haven’t seen you for a while._ The Alpha Chimera was about to move towards her, sensing something was off about his plan, when Lydia screamed. 

"MASON!" 

It was otherworldly, unlike anything he'd ever heard before, a wall of noise battering the Beast back. “Now Theo!” He cried out, but the chimera already running forward, leaping into the air, claws out, talons sliding into place. His brilliant blue claws dug deep into the werewolf's flesh, the spark exposed. The chimera roared in triumph as the Beast’s power transferred into his body, driving him to his knees, his head arching backwards, eyes shifting from purple to red to white-blue, and then back to purple. Mason dropped to the ground behind him, and Liam darted forward to drag him backwards. The Beast's smoke held its shape for a moment before imploding and coating Theo in shadow. “Hahahaha! He laughed manically as his claws lengthened and larger fangs erupted from his gums. His frame buckled as muscles grew and bulged, tearing his clothes. 

“No!” Scott yelled out, looking up after he had ran out to pull Lydia to safety.

“You cannot stop me now, Scott!” The Alpha Chimera growled at him, his eyes flicking between the white-blue of the Beast, and his own purple fire. “Kneel before me, and I will grant you all a quick death!” He turned on the spot, the power overwhelming his senses, practically blinding him, his own body changing to match the transformation that had racked Theo. Stiles laughed and looked up at the stars. _Finally! Finally, I have all the power._

“Stiles! Look out!” Corey barrelled into him as Scott ran past, the cane-sword in one hand.

“No!” The Alpha Chimera pushed Corey away, “Theo!”

Theo opened his eyes in time to see Scott coming at him, the werewolf snarling and plunging the sword into his stomach. The chimera staggered backwards, grunting as he pulled out the sword, tossing it to one side. _No, it can’t…not after everything!_ Theo spat out a mouthful of blood, looking at his hands as they returned to normal, his massive claws replaced by a normal werewolf’s claws, his blue talons sliding back into place. “You…” He growled at Scott. “I will…kill you…”

The Alpha Chimera stood up and moved to intercept Scott, lightning flaring in his fist. He cast a bolt towards the werewolf, snarling in frustration as Kira caught the bolt with her sword. “You will suffer for this! You will all suffer!”

Kira smirked at him, her sword energised by the lightning. She glanced at Theo, “The Skinwalkers have a message for you, Theo.” Stiles half-turned, catching Theo’s surprised expression. "Your sister wants to see you." Kira stabbed her sword into the dirt as an ominous crack echoed around the clearing. The ground splintered outwards from the Kitsune and surrounded Theo. He looked around, fear suddenly flooding his scent.

“Stiles!”

“I’m coming!” The Alpha Chimera changed course and ran towards him as a hunched, sodden figure emerged from the hole behind Theo, her hand reaching out to snatch his foot, tripping the chimera onto his front. The creature, his sister, clawed her way halfway out of the pit and gripped Theo tightly, pulling him back inside with her. Stiles dived onto his stomach, his fingers brushing against his boyfriend’s hoodie.

“Stiles!” He screamed louder, his outstretched hand gripped by the Alpha Chimera.

“I got you!”

“Stiles, I can’t, she’s pulling me down!” Theo’s eyes locked onto his hopelessly.

"NO!" Stiles grabbed him hard, staring into his eyes, as his other hand clawed franticly at the ground around him, looking for purchase. “Your sister is too strong, you’re slipping! Hang on, I’ll-”

“No.” Theo muttered, his claws piercing his boyfriend’s flesh. "Stiles, I love you." He was pulled from the Alpha Chimera’s grasp and the ground sealed up behind him, as Stiles fell back onto the grass. 

 

"NO!" Stiles screamed at the sky, his chimeras dropped to the ground, clutching their heads. Lightning arced uncontrollably around the enraged Alpha Chimera. "Start digging!" He roared and they ran forward, kneeling in the dirt, blood running from their ears. "Use your hands! Find him!" 

"Stiles," Scott was behind him, and the Alpha Chimera whirled around. "Stiles...No! No! Wait!"

"Argh!" Stile lashed out with a massive bolt of lightning, the current rolling off his body, smashing through Kira's defenses and hurling them all backwards, causing the grass in a semi-circle around him to burn and blacken. Josh clutched his chest and fell over, his reserves totally drained. The Alpha Chimera snarled at them, daring them to come closer. But Scott was out cold, Liam had been badly burnt by the force of the attack, and Kira wandered around in a daze. Stiles nodded to himself and went back to where his chimeras had stripped the grass and topsoil off. “Hurry up! He’s in there, I know it! Now dig, you worthless…” His words descended into unintelligible growling, the Alpha Chimera stalking back and forth. 

Stiles looked up a few moments later as Parrish got up on all fours, naked, flames out. The Deputy stood and stared at him, moving towards the chimeras. “Stiles…”

“I gave you the chance to join us.”

“I never wanted this, Stiles.” Parrish glanced back at the other pack. “Theo’s gone, it’s over.”

“No.” The Alpha Chimera snarled at him. “I might be down to three chimeras, but you’re not the Hellhound right now, so I’ll take those odds.”

“Ok, ok.” Parrish stopped and raised his hands, backing off. “I’ll check on Lydia then.”

“You do that. Keep digging!” Stiles growled at Josh looked up at him, “We will find him, we must find him!” 

Tracy stopped and shook her head, “He’s dead, Stiles. Argh!” She shrieked in pain as the Alpha Chimera slashed his claws across her back.

“You don’t want to dig, do you? Fine. Get out! Get out!” He screamed and pushed them to one side, jumping into the shallow hole that they had dug. Corey stayed beside him as Josh and Tracy glanced at each other. Stiles began to dig, the dirt was damp, it moved easily, his claws cutting through roots easily, but his fingers kept being cut on pointed stones. He glanced back to see Scott approaching him again, this time with the rest of his pack, and Parrish. Stiles snarled and kept going, failing to notice Josh and Tracy running away into the forest. 

“Stiles. Stiles!” Corey called his name, panic in his voice. “They’re coming!”

“Let them come.” The Alpha Chimera muttered and pulled out his box of mountain ash, throwing it upwards, so the contents fell in a perfect circle around him. “Let them try.”

Scott slid to a stop, looking at Kira, as Liam poked the barrier cautiously. “Stiles? C’mon Stiles, it’s over, Theo’s gone. I know it was never you, that he had you under some sort of…”

“Of what?” Stiles growled at him, now on his hands and knees, only his eyes glowing dangerously, his claws had vanished when the other chimeras had fled. “It was all me, Scott.”

“I don’t believe that.”

“Believe what you want, I need to find him!” He turned and resumed his frantic digging.

“You won’t.” Kira called out, but Stiles ignored her, grunting as his nails chipped and his hands bled.

“Corey?”

Corey glanced back as Scott called his name, “What?”

“You care for him, I can see that,” Scott smiled. “I’ve always seen that, and you’re still here. Disrupt the circle. Let us in. Let us help him.”

The Alpha Chimera looked at him, "Don't." Stiles immediately went back to digging, up to his elbows now. “I’m getting there. I’m coming Theo!”

Corey looked at Scott and shook his head, “I serve only the Alpha Chimera’s command.”

Parrish moved around the circle, until he could look directly at Stiles. “Come on, Stiles, your Dad will want to see you, we can help you.”

The Alpha Chimera stopped and straightened up, staring at the Hellhound. “Deputy, there’s so much blood on my hands that no one will ever be able to clean it all. Burn the circle, I know you can. But I will fight you, all of you, until I die, before I give up on Theo.”

The Deputy sighed, walking away from him, and gestured for Lydia to leave. Scott frowned, but looked at Corey again, trying to be friendly. The chimera shook his head, “No. I’m not breaking the circle.” He looked past Scott as Liam ran up, Mason trailing behind his best friend.

“Scott! It’s Hayden! She’s hurt, dying!”

“Damn it! Ok, ok, you’re probably not going to move.” Scott backed off, “I’ll call the Sheriff. Your Dad will…”

“Get out of here then, wolf.” Stiles spat at him, still digging, more slowly now, expanding the pit so he could sit in it, mounds of earth on either side.

"Stiles, he's gone. Stiles?" Corey said, trying to pull on his arm. But Stiles shrugged him off, his hands moving mechanically, refusing to give up. The younger chimera glanced up as Mason stood beside him, gesturing helplessly. “Stiles, please.”

 

Stiles stopped. He stared at the dirt in front of him, and felt his chest tighten, tears falling down his cheeks. He gasped, and lowered his forehead to the earth, “No, no, no, no,” Stiles muttered, sobs racking his body. “I can’t find him. I’ve lost Theo.”

“Stiles, it’s ok.” Corey’s hand was on his shoulder and Stiles blinked, sitting up, making himself take a breath.

“He’s not here.” 

“Maybe…I don’t, I don’t know what to say.” Corey looked at Mason for help, but none was forthcoming. “Stiles, do you wanna leave, maybe before your Dad comes?”

“Too late for that.” Mason pointed at the flashing blue lights. 

Stiles forced himself upright, looking down the slope, hearing the slamming of the door. “No, I can’t.” He staggered and accepted their help to get out of the pit. His hands were cracked and bloody, cut open by his crazed efforts. _Theo would…the blood. Oh god…_ The Alpha Chimera’s eyes blazed once more and he pushed past Corey towards the forest.

“Where are you going? Stiles? Stiles, come back!” Corey ran after him, “Stiles! Where are you going?”

Stiles stopped, looking back at him, and muttered. “Away.” He pushed on into the forest, hearing Mason stop Corey from following him. Stiles walked for a few minutes, before leaning against a tree when he heard someone behind him, shouting his name. “Sorry, Dad, but I don’t want to be found.” Corey was still close enough for him to cloak, the Alpha Chimera watching as the Sheriff ran right past him. _You don’t want to find me, either._

Half an hour later, Stiles emerged at the Southern Access Road, his Jeep parked where he had left it. He grabbed a bottle of water, cleaning his hands and robotically changed out of his muddy clothes into the ones from his bag that Corey had retrieved for him earlier that day. _A world away, how could this have…Kira._ The Alpha Chimera’s eyes hardened, and he growled, “I will _burn_ you from this Earth.” Stiles climbed into his Jeep, ignoring the tears that kept falling down his face. He shifted into gear, switching the police scanner on, just in case. But it was all inane chatter, and he turned it off as he hit the freeway, burning past the welcome sign to Beacon Hills...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know a lot of you wanted Stiles to turn into the God-Emperor here, but I kinda felt he hadn't lost enough, and I also wanted to put in a third part, exploring some other aspects of his Alpha Chimeraness. But if you're still interested in seeing that dream of world domination being realized, I would say, stay tuned!
> 
> The final chapter of this Part will be up next week, when I return from my work trip, which is why I'm releasing this earlier than normal. Chapter 21 won't be an epilogue, since Theo isn't actually dead, Stiles just doesn't know how to find him...or how to come back to Beacon Hills.


	21. The Price of Treachery

Stiles drove until he hit the coast, before turning south and burning rubber, speeding through towns he didn’t recognise, their names flashing by in a blur. The tears had stopped and his face hurt, eyes red and heavy. But he still felt it, like being punched in the chest, his entire world had been ripped away in an instant, nothing left but a ragged hole. “We were close,” He muttered to himself as the sky turned pink in the east, “No, we had won, victory, I could feel it, the power of the Beast raging through Theo, the shared connection. It was…perfect.” Stiles fell silent, increasing his speed recklessly as the verge beside him gave way to sheer cliffs and the ocean below him. “Scott…I didn’t think he’d try and kill the Beast, not like that, and take Theo out too. Guess I really don’t know him any better than he knows me. Knew. Those bridges are smashed. And Kira…” He snarled wordlessly and felt anger flow through his veins. 

The road pulled away from the coast and the Alpha Chimera’s hands tightened on the steering wheel, eyes drawn to a turnoff ahead of him. He turned off the coastal highway onto a lonely road leading downhill towards the ocean. The sun was beginning to push back up above the horizon. Another day dawning, how different things looked since it had last appeared. The asphalt gave way to sandy grass, Stiles slowed and drove slowly over the loose stone of the rocky beach, rocking to a stop at the top of the deserted dunes. He killed the engine and stared out at the grey waves, the sound of the ocean crashing against the rocky shore was the only thing he could hear for miles. Stiles got out of his Jeep, leaving the keys in the ignition, the door open, and he walked slowly towards the water. It had been days since he’d slept, he couldn’t even recall how he’d got here, just knew that he’d driven until the gas tank said a quarter left. It didn’t really matter, “Gets pretty deep out there. I’d sink right to the bottom…But that’s not what I need. Not what Theo needs.” He watched the waves as they ran up stony beach, the last few hours fading into a disjointed blur.

 

Stiles shut his eyes, the grief was raw, but Theo was alive, he _knew_ it. He’d find him, somehow. The Alpha Chimera looked down at his hands, his senses were so dull; it was the first time in months, the first time since the Overmind was Awakened, that he was alone, fully alone. There were no claws for him to mimic, never mind anything as exotic as venom or electricity. He sighed, staring at the ground. “He’s a werewolf and she’s a Kitsune, and without my pack, I am nothing, I can’t even…” Stiles trailed off, frowning as something pulled at his focus, like a movement in his peripheral vision. 

He turned, but there was no one behind him. “What the hell?” _Is that…? It must be, I can feel them, even now, even at this distance. Corey is indistinct, faraway, if I go any further I won’t be able to find him…But the others; Josh, Tracy, you’re closer, different directions though. I can find you!_ Stiles smirked grimly, speaking to the empty beach. “My pack lives on, you ran away…but you will return with me and we will find Theo!”

 

Stiles drove slowly into the deserted yard of the substation, glancing around, but there was no one to question his arrival. Much like the previous two, the workers simply weren’t there, although the smell of burning and the charred shapes against the walls told him what had happened. Josh was close, the Alpha Chimera could feel his presence getting stronger. He stopped and got out of the Jeep, this station was bigger than the last; banks of transformers and thick threads of wire all around him, sprawling out for acres on either side. Stiles smiled grimly to himself, and looked down as sparks began to crackle along the surface of his skin. 

“Ah, now this is a feeling I’ve missed.” He curled his hand into a fist, the electricity building up, before he released it into the ground with a crack, calling out, “Josh! You can’t run from me anymore! Three days it’s taken me to hunt you down, I thought you wanted to serve your Alpha!” Stiles smirked when he heard a hurried shutting of metal doors. “Now, now, Josh, don’t bother hiding. Come out into the light, before I make you come out.” His eyes flared purple as he began to exert his power over the chimera’s legs. The doors of a nearby shed were flung open and Josh hurriedly emerged. Stiles nodded and released his control. “Good.”

“What do you want, Stiles?”

“I want you back. I want you all back, my pack will be reunited. And we will continue with my plan; realise the empire this world needs.”

“Theo’s dead.” Josh replied, as Stiles’ expression flickered. “I saw it happen.”

“You saw him get taken by…whatever it was, his sister maybe. But-”

“His dead sister, you mean?”

“If you want.” Stiles shrugged, “I’m giving you the chance to come with me of your own accord, Josh, I could force you, of course, but that would get tiring.”

“There’s nothing I want there, nothing for me in Beacon Hills.” Josh shook his head.

“What about your family?”

“They’re dead.” The chimera replied after a moment, avoiding Stiles’ eyes.

“How? They were alive before you…” The Alpha Chimera trailed off, smirking at Josh, “You killed them?”

“It was an accident.” He spoke quickly, “I didn’t know how to control my powers, everyone I touched just dropped dead; my Mom first-she tried to help me, and then my Dad, and…”

“You have a little sister, don’t you?”

“Yeah.” Josh finally looked at him, returning his Alpha’s grin. “But I always hated that brat.”

“I see.” Stiles turned away from him, “What did you do with the bodies?”

“Buried them, backyard, didn’t have the stomach for, well, for this.” He gestured at the substation. “Do you know what it smells like? Up close? Burning flesh?”

“I can guess,” Stiles walked back towards him. “So, are you going to come with me, or not?”

“I just told you-”

“A very useful blackmailing tool, yeah, I heard. But you see the thing is, Josh, I need my pack.” He glared at the chimera. “You don’t really have a choice.”

“Screw you, I’m not going back! And you can’t keep a hold of me every minute of every day.” Josh shouted at him. “Now, fuck off!”

The Alpha Chimera looked at the ground. “That wasn’t the answer I was hoping for, but this seems to be a pattern with you. My pack gives me power, but perhaps, I should just _take_ the power instead!” Stiles raised his fingers up to eye level between them and a single long talon grew from his index finger. The talon began to pulse blue in time with the flashes of purple in Stiles’ eyes. “Theo didn’t get them all. He was partly werewolf, just like Belasko, so I’m not entirely sure if this is going to work. Let’s find out together!” The chimera stumbled backwards, gathering electricity in his hand and hurling it at Stiles. The Alpha Chimera chuckled darkly as the energy hit his chest, “Tingly! Try again, Josh, or maybe you’ve forgotten that I am your Alpha? The Overmind of all Chimeras! Immune to anything you can throw at me!”

“No, no! You can’t!” Josh backed away from him, “You said that chimeras boost your power, that you’re nothing without us! Stiles! Please, alright, ok, I’ll go back to Beacon Hills with you! Just don’t make me die again!”

“You say that now.” Stiles stopped moving. “But I can’t trust you anymore, my chimera.” He looked down at the waves of electricity wrapped around his body, and then back at him, his eyes locking onto the other chimera’s terrified gaze. “You won’t be the first person I’ve killed, Josh, just the first that I’ll enjoy. Argh!” He lunged forward, thrusting his talon into the chimera’s stomach, sinking to his knees with him as Josh gasped and slumped over. Stiles used his other hand to force Josh’s face up, leaning in close enough to watch his eyes turn glassy and the light fade. Blood spilled across his hand as Stiles twisted deeper, siphoning off the chimera’s pain, his life draining away, until finally he could feel the spark of power at his core. The Alpha Chimera growled as a jolt of electricity pounded through his talon, and then exploded across his body. 

Stiles pulled his talon out of Josh’s lifeless body and scrambled backwards. His eyes burned purple and as he held his hands out in front of him, lightning crackled from every finger. The Alpha Chimera tilted his head back, looking up at the clear evening sky and for the first time in days, felt like he had a chance of finding Theo, restoring their power, and bringing ruin to those who had stolen it all from him. As energy sparked off him and landed on the transformers, blowing them one by one, Stiles looked at Josh’s body, the blood pool spreading. “Should I leave you here? A foolish teenager in a dangerous place? Or should I really discover what burning flesh smells like?” The Alpha Chimera considered it for a moment and then laughed, his hand stretching out.

 

Stiles parked his Jeep between two motorcycles and got out, stretching after the long drive. He had nearly lost her, going north to find Josh, but Tracy hadn’t moved, or so it had seemed. A week after Theo had…been taken, he had found his Kanima. _I wonder if she’ll be easier to persuade?_ Stiles smirked to himself as he looked around the full parking lot, the dingy bar by the interstate was a dump. _Very easy, I think._ He pushed open the door, a wave of sound and smoke hitting him immediately. The Alpha Chimera wrinkled his nose, trying to ignore the scents that flooded the room from the bar’s patrons; a mix of bikers and long haul truckers, unkempt hair and grime. Several of them looked his way, a few grinning at each other. _Think I’m easy prey? Haha, by all means, try._ He walked up to the bar, inserting himself between two burly men. They glanced at him, but Stiles ignored them, catching the waitress’ eye. 

“What?” She barked at him.

“I’m looking for someone.”

“Aren’t we all, sweetheart.”

“Oh, not like that.” Stiles replied calmly. “I have a picture, have you seen this girl?” He pushed his new phone forward, and the woman bent down to stare at Tracy’s Facebook page. “Well?”

“Oh, yeah, _Marline_.” She snorted, and looked up at him. “I’m guessing that ain’t her real name. You her brother or her boyfriend?”

“Neither, actually. I’m just…concerned.”

“Uh huh, knew that skank wasn’t eighteen, never mind twenty-one. She’s over there, next to Bill, the manager.” She said sourly, pointing across the bar. Stiles nodded and moved away, slowly walking towards Tracy, smelling her fear as she turned towards him. The manager took one of his hands off her waist and leaned on the bar, glaring at him.

“What do you want, boy?”

“Her.” Stiles said, nodding at Tracy. The man guffawed and looked around at his customers, but the Alpha Chimera ignored him, catching the chimera’s gaze. “Really? This is what you’ve lowered yourself to? Being some piece of meat for an idiot like him? Or are you being passed around for all the filth in here?”

“Hey!”

“Come back with me, Tracy, come back to where you belong.” Stiles said, talking over the man’s angry response.

“Hey, boy! She is my girl! She does what I want! She goes where I want! Ain’t that right, babe?” He said, slapping Tracy’s ass as the men around him laughed.

The Alpha Chimera finally looked at him, “Really? Can you make her do this?” His eyes burned purple and Tracy’s hand flew up, her claws slicing the man’s arm to ribbons. He screamed as blood spurted across the counter, Stiles laughed darkly, and Tracy gasped in horror.

“Stiles!”

“Full bar here, Tracy, lowlifes and scum, probably a lot of warrants. Why don’t we help the local Sheriff out?” He turned around, the whole room paying him attention now. The Alpha Chimera raised his arms upwards, eyes blazing purple. “I thought you enjoyed killing! So, kill them all, rip them apart, bathe in their blood! Obey the will of your Alpha Chimera!” He grinned as the screaming began, laughing as some of the more enterprising ones tried to shoot her. The Alpha Chimera’s eyes pulsed rapidly as he controlled Tracy, forcing her to slaughter them.

 

Stiles stepped over the still warm body of Bill the manager and patted Tracy on the shoulder. “Very impressive, my chimera. Oh, and the waitress too. She’s over there.” He waited until the final scream was silenced, blood spattering across the dirty wooden surface of the bar. “You have served me well, but I need to know, will you continue to do so, if I am not compelling you?” Stiles walked around to face her, seeing Tracy glare at him. “Will you run off again? Will you betray me, just like Josh and Hayden? You can speak now.”

“I…These people…”

“Were animals.” Stiles finished ruthlessly as she trailed off, gesturing around him. “But I can see it in your eyes. You’ve lost your edge, Tracy.”

“And you’ve gained one.”

“Scott took a lot more than just Theo from me,” Stiles muttered, “But thankfully, I have a way of taking everything from him.” He grinned and flicked out his talon, letting a spark of electricity arc across it.

“Josh…”

“Dead, I’m afraid, he didn’t want to join me either. It’s beginning to hurt my feelings.” The Alpha Chimera’s eyes pulsed as the talon glowed blue. “You know what comes next, don’t you?”

“I can’t fight you. I just wanted to live, Stiles,” She pleaded, “I wasn’t going betray you or-”

“You already did!” He roared at her, “I needed my pack to find Theo, if you had stayed, if you hadn’t run…But you did, and here we are.” Stiles smirked, looking away, before striking fast, driving his talon up under her rib cage. 

“Please, ugh!” Tracy shook, her eyes turning to look like true Kanima slits, before she slumped forward. 

“Glory demands sacrifice!” Stiles growled as he pushed her off, the stolen power rushing across his body. “Pity, I expected more fight. Still, at least I now have proper claws.” He let the talon slide back in and flicked his claws out, nodding as venom dripped slowly down their tips. 

The Alpha Chimera looked around the blood-splattered room, the smell of copper heavy in the air. “Theo would have loved this, so much blood, hmm.” He walked up to the one section of the wall that hadn’t been hit and dipped his fingers into a blood pool nearby. Stiles began to draw, using the blood to paint a circle and then three lines below it. “Scott has a pack symbol, even had it branded onto his arm.” The Alpha Chimera said to the dead man whose blood had stained the pool table red. “The open wound, meant to reunite them…Huh, them, well, I’m not a member of that pack anymore. No, I’ve my own. You might be the first to see it, but not the last. Glory to the Alpha Chimera!” Stiles raised his voice and laughed as his finished the symbol. 

 

Stiles pulled up the handbrake and glanced around at the near-empty parking lot. He got out of the Jeep and walked up to the Sheriff’s Station, Beacon Hills looked like nothing bad had ever happened, and even the normally bustling station was quiet. Stiles pushed the door open, familiar scents hitting him; the officers’ shoe polish, the dry stacks of paper, the heaviness of coffee brewed hours before, all magnified by his heightened senses. _The power of two chimeras added to my own, now I’m running on full! Ah, there you are._ He walked up to the duty officer’s desk, “Deputy Strauss.”

He looked up sharply, “Stiles? Oh my god!”

“Not quite, not a god, yet.” The Alpha Chimera shrugged, smirking. “Is my-”

“He’s in his office, hasn’t been home in a week. Where the hell have you been?”

“I’ll tell you about that another time.” 

“Uh, ok, um, good luck.”

“Haha, yeah, he’s gonna kill me.” Stiles nodded at him and moistened his lips as he walked over to the Sheriff’s office, knocking gently on the glass. There was no response, so Stiles just pushed the door open.

“Strauss! I said no interruptions!” The Sheriff growled without looking up from a stack of paperwork.

“It’s not Strauss, Dad.” Stiles said, as his father’s head shot up. He gestured emptily. “I’m back.”

“Stiles…Stiles you…goddamnit Stiles!” A range of emotions swept across the Sheriff’s face as he stood up and pulled Stiles into a bone-crushing hug. The Alpha Chimera didn’t react for a moment, before hesitantly returning his father’s embrace.

“Yeah, ok, ok, Dad, I can’t breathe!”

“Oh, sorry.” The Sheriff stood back and glared at him. “What the hell were you thinking? Running off like that, I mean, seriously, Stiles? It’s been two weeks! Where the hell have you been? Do you have any idea what I’ve-”

“I know, it was stupid.” He shrugged, sitting down on the chair in front of the Sheriff’s desk. “I just needed to leave, get away, from Beacon Hills, from Scott, from…everything.”

“And what, you couldn’t call me?”

“My phone was broken. Only got a new one a few days ago.” He hung his head as though ashamed. “I didn’t call because I wasn’t sure what to say, I mean the last time I saw you, err, Tracy hit you with her Kanima venom, and I was acting kinda insane.”

“Right.” The Sheriff replied gruffly, “But there’s more going on, there always is with you. This has something to do with Theo, doesn’t it?”

 _It has everything to do with Theo!_ Stiles snapped internally, but appeared calm and collected on the surface. He swallowed hard, replying, “Yeah, something like that. What did they tell you?”

“Not much.” The Sheriff rubbed his face, haggard from lack of sleep. “Your friend Corey refused to say anything, except that you would return. He’s, uh, very…devoted. As for Scott, other than telling me that the Beast was destroyed and Theo was, err, killed-”

“He’s not dead.” Stiles broke in, “Missing, maybe, but not dead.”

“Scott wouldn’t go into the details, but he seemed to think whatever had happened was final.”

“I don’t.” He looked at his father, and shook his head. “No.”

“Well, whatever has happened to him, I’m just glad you’re back, and safe.”

“Right.”

“Where did you go, Stiles?” The Sheriff asked him after a few minutes of silence passed. “What have you been doing these last two weeks? I looked for you, even asked Scott to, he didn’t find anything.” He said after Stiles shrugged. “I put out an APB, not sure if you heard it?”

“No. I turned off the scanner, in case you tracked me.” Stiles wetted his lips. “Josh and Tracy ran away on that night too. I had to find them.”

“Because they’re your friends?” His father asked uncertainly.

“No. They were my pack, and with me, they were under control.” The Alpha Chimera replied. “But on their own, well, you’ve seen that most chimeras are killing machines. Josh, err, you should send a unit to his house; check the backyard.”

“What are you saying, Stiles?”

“He killed his entire family, electrocuted them, even his little sister, tragic.” He replied emotionlessly, his father frowning at his tone. “He told me, before he died. They were my responsibility, Dad.”

“What did you do, Stiles?” The Sheriff asked hesitantly.

“I am the Alpha Chimera, I alone possess the capability to stop them, they’re immune to Hunter techniques and Scott isn’t able to take a life to preserve another. I did what I had to.” Stiles explained, looking first at his hands, and then at his father. “There’s more.”

“Tell me.”

“I tracked Tracy to a bar near the border, real dingy place, the kind where you hide out from, well, you.” The Alpha Chimera paused, allowing himself to become more emotional. _That’s it, have to sell it, Stiles! This is the reason you killed them, not for power or glory, but because they were bad people. Yeah, right._ “By the time I got there, it was too late. Tracy was always the wild one, the violent one, quick to anger, quicker to kill. There was…blood everywhere. It was…it was horrible, everyone was dead.”

“Hang on, I think I know what you’re talking about.” The Sheriff stood up and riffled through the stack of paperwork. “Ah, here, this was pushed out across the state, surprised you didn’t hear it on the radio. Crazy cultist killers, apparently.” He looked at Stiles, “Drew some sort of symbol on the walls.”

“I tried not to look around.”

“They never recovered her body, or anyone matching her description at the scene.”

“She would’ve looked like a Kanima,” Stiles’ face grew hard. “Parrish isn’t the only one covering up the supernatural.”

“I suppose you’re right.” The Sheriff sighed and looked at him. “You missed a lot of school.”

“That’s it?” The Alpha Chimera quirked a brow. “I just confessed to the murder of two people.”

“Two chimeras, who aren’t really people, and they’ve each killed a dozen, if not more, _actual_ people. Stiles, I don’t like vigilante killers, but when it comes to this sorta stuff, I’ve learned it’s better to turn a blind eye.” His father coughed awkwardly.

“Seems like that’s Beacon Hills’ speciality.” He replied, standing up. “I’m going to head home, change, shower.”

“Ok, we can talk more later if you want.”

“Right.” Stiles muttered and walked out of the office. Deputy Clark had taken over from Strauss and Stiles glanced at her, frowning. _Why haven’t I felt you in weeks, Hayden? Why have you disappeared from my reach?_

 

Stiles slowed to a stop outside the McCall house, concentrating to filter out the extra sounds on the street, finally able to faintly hear two heart-beats inside the house. He nodded, satisfied, and hopped out of the Jeep, shutting the door with a clang. Stiles had just taken the first step when the front door opened, Scott’s face in shadows from the light cast out behind him. The Alpha Chimera kept climbing until he was on the porch, the werewolf still hadn’t moved, was just standing there. “Scott.”

“Stiles.”

“Surprised to see me?”

“I guess, uh.” Scott turned to look inside, “I’m not sure if you want to come in, but-”

“Kira’s with you, isn’t she?” Stiles asked, “Yes, I think that’s her scent.”

“How can you-”

The Alpha Chimera pushed past him without another word and walked into the living room.

Kira looked over his shoulder at Scott and then back to him. “Stiles?”

“What did you mean?” He glanced at the werewolf as Scott joined them. “The Skinwalkers, what did you mean?”

“This is about Theo?”

“What else would it be about?” Stiles snapped at her, before controlling his anger. “Where is Theo?”

“He’s gone.” She replied, “Uh, I don’t know _where,_ exactly.”

“But they do? The Skinwalkers?” Stiles pressed.

“I guess. I mean, I’ll be going out there in a few days to resume my training.”

“I’m not asking for anything from you, other than the truth.” 

“He’s dead, Stiles.” Scott said, “Theo is gone. He’s not coming back.”

“I don’t believe that,” The Alpha Chimera glared at them both, “There must be a way to save him, and I will find it, no matter the cost.”

“Damnit, Stiles!” Scott grabbed his shoulder, before releasing him with a yelp. “Ah! What the hell was that?”

“Electricity.” Kira muttered, staring at him, watching a ripple of current wash over his torso. “Oh no.”

“Yeah, I’m not defenseless anymore.” Stiles said and turned to leave. He hesitated, looking back at Kira. “When you’re in the desert, when you’ve all that time to yourself, thinking, trying to control your fox spirit, here’s something else for you to reflect on.” Stiles glared at her, hatred burning in his purple eyes. “You took everything from me.” _And I will take everything from you, I will burn your whole world to the ground!_ He turned quickly on his heel and walked out of the door, neither of them trying to stop him.

 

 _Corey is here; at the high school, library, I think._ Stiles thought to himself as he angrily brushed away the tears that had fallen after he left Scott’s house. The high school was busy, the soccer team playing a match against the next town over, the drama club rehearsing in the auditorium, prom committee walking past him; everything was so _normal_. Stiles stopped as the scent of two werewolves approached him. _Another pack? Brett Talbot’s maybe? No, that’s…_ “Liam.” He said as the Beta and Hayden rounded the corner.

“Stiles.” The werewolf stared at him in surprise. 

“You. What have you done?” The Alpha Chimera glared at Hayden as she smirked. His eyes flashed but it had no effect. “You’re not a chimera anymore, are you?”

“Scott gave me the Bite, saved my life, I’m a full werewolf, unfortunately for you.” She grinned and Stiles glanced down as her claws flicked out, her tone becoming mocking. “O Alpha Chimera.”

The hallway was deserted and Stiles smirked at her. “You think you can take me on? Bring it, you don't stand a chance against an Alpha. I thought you had died, a fitting end for such a pathetic chimera.”

Hayden made to lunge at him, but Liam grabbed her arm, hissing. “Not here!”

“Listen to your pretty little boyfriend,” Stiles taunted her, “There’ll be plenty of time to atone for your betrayal later.”

“I’m going to kill you!”

“And turn those yellow eyes blue?” Stiles glanced at Liam, “She has a lot to learn, but I bet you just _love_ doing that.”

“What do you want, Stiles?” Liam asked him as he kept a firm grip on Hayden, the other werewolf looking daggers at him.

“I’m looking for Corey, or has he been stolen from me too?”

“No, he’s way too loyal to you.” The werewolf sighed, “He’s in the library with Mason, I think. They’re studying.”

“Thank you,” The Alpha Chimera let his eyes turn purple, the hum of electricity as it crackled across his skin. He noticed how Liam’s eyes went wide. “I’m sure we’ll be seeing each other again.” Stiles smirked and pushed past them, his smile lingering as the two werewolves argued behind him.

“I could’ve taken him!”

“We’re weak to electricity, Hayden, he would’ve fried you! And he’s right, you know how Scott feels about killing.”

“Wait, how does he have…”

Stiles rolled his eyes as he crossed the quad to the library, _Seriously, does the Bite knock off a few brain cells? Idiots. Oh, yes, Corey’s here, excellent._

 

Corey sighed, resting his face in one hand, as the other doodled in the margins of his physics book. Mason was glancing at him occasionally, but Corey ignored his ex-boyfriend. They were still friends, if only because Mason didn’t want to talk to Liam or Hayden, and Corey hadn’t cared about anything since Stiles had left. He had wanted to go after his Alpha, but Mason had pulled him back, _Maybe things would have been different, maybe I could’ve done something to convince Stiles to stay._

“Corey, what did you get for this one?” Mason pushed his copy book at him, but the chimera shrugged.

“Dunno, skipped that class.” 

“Yeah, along with everything except Physics this week. Dude, the teachers are starting to notice. I can’t keep covering for you.” Mason gestured at him vaguely. “Corey?”

“I never asked you to do that. And it doesn’t matter. My parents don’t care. They didn’t notice that I’ve been sleeping in all week.”

“They’ll notice once your grades come out. You’re going to fail English if you don’t get that paper in tomorrow.”

“Don’t care.” Corey moaned and laid his head on his arms, facing away from Mason. “Nothing matters anymore.”

“Oh my god,” Mason got up and moved around the desk, forcing Corey to look at him. “I know we’re not together anymore, and I know you’re upset that Stiles is gone, but he might not come back-”

“He will.” Corey growled, staring through him.

“Ok, but you need to move on, you need to study. You need to stop disappearing.”

Corey looked up, frowning, as Mason continued.

“Yeah, I know about that, Liam and Hayden too, so, you need to stop doing that.”

“Right.” The chimera muttered, “I think…” The library doors opened and Corey felt his pulse spike as he recognised who just walked in. “Yes! I told you!”

 

Stiles pushed open the library doors and spotted him immediately. For the first time in weeks a genuine smile tugged at his lips. Corey stood up suddenly and Mason turned around, surprise obvious on his face.

“Stiles!” Corey ran up to him, grinning. He paused in front of the Alpha Chimera, the urge to hug him just about controlled. There was something different about Stiles, a hardness in his eyes, that made the younger chimera pull away slightly. “You’re back.”

“Yeah, I’m home.” Stiles was looking at the center of the library floor, remembering Donovan’s body impaled on the construction bar. _Everything changed that night. But I wouldn’t go back, not for anything or anyone._ “You’re studying?”

“Trying to.” Mason replied for him, as Corey scowled. 

“Yeah. Trying to.” He repeated, turning back to smile at Stiles. "But, uh, it doesn't matter."

“Hmm.” Stiles nodded and looked at him. “Are you done for the night? I can give you a ride home, if you want?"

“Yeah, yeah, I’m done.” Corey replied quickly, as Mason glared at him.

“Dude! Your English paper?”

“I’ll do it later.” He hurriedly stuffed his books into his bag and eagerly followed Stiles as the Alpha Chimera left the library. 

 

“Is everything ok between you two?” Stiles asked as they walked down the darkened hallways. “I’m sensing some tension.”

“We broke up.”

“I’m sorry.” Stiles glanced at him, “But you’re not?”

“It was the right thing to do, I like someone else.”

“Oh, I wonder who?” Stiles replied dryly, as Corey smirked at him. The Alpha Chimera’s expression became more serious as they exited the main doors. “You’re my only loyal chimera, the only one left.” 

“What about Josh and Tracy? I know Hayden already got turned, but the others-”

“Were traitors, they got what they deserved.” Stiles’ voice was an angry growl. “And I got what made them useful in the first place. They didn’t want to come back, they didn’t have the same loyalty that you do. You stayed, Corey.”

“Of course,” He shook his head slightly, as though confused that Stiles might think differently. “What are we going to do now?”

“They struck first; Scott, Kira, his pack. They think we are broken, fractured, that without Theo, we are not a threat. They attacked us, now we retaliate. But first, I need my pack back.” Stiles stopped speaking, catching Corey’s expression. “Theo isn’t dead, gone, missing perhaps, but not dead.”

“You have a plan?”

"I will find him."

"How?"

"New Mexico, the Skinwalkers. I will find him, and I will save him."

"Is that even possible?" 

Stiles' expression hardened, his eyes burning with purple fire. "I'll find a way. We've already seen that the rules are made to be broken." He held up his hand, nails turning to Kanima claws, lightening arcing between his fingers. “So, let’s break a few more!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that's Part Two complete! Part Three coming soon, not sure if I'll take a week off to focus on some other fics or just plough straight on into the next Part. Thank you for reading, and I hope you've enjoyed reading this as much as I have writing it!

**Author's Note:**

> I'm looking at this from Stiles and Theo’s perspectives, so anything from other character’s POV will be ignored or passed on to them naturally. This does make the chapters quite long, but my desire for this (the twentieth story I have on AO3!) is to keep me writing until the middle of next year or there about.  
> Thanks for reading!


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